Bad Faith
by WitchingWorld
Summary: Rose Weasley is crashing her way through seven years of education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with her best friends Al, Bee and Sam (although Sam's really more of a frienemy). Rose/Scorpius. Because let's be honest, JK dropped us enough hints in the epilogue... Cover Image by Kirjava @TDA!
1. The Hogwarts Express

Compartment H of the Hogwarts Express was officially established as the designated hangout spot for the Weasleys and all extended family and friends.

In a compartment which at best comfortably fits six children, Compartment H was always packed with at least fifteen squirming bodies; all red hair, elbows in ribs and inevitable accompanying havoc.

In such an environment of squished shoulders, misplaced wads of Droobles Best Blowing Gum and prolific ownership of the All-New range of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products, it was a miracle Rose Granger-Weasley and Albus Potter lasted until the Honeydukes Express lady walked past, to escape with two Pumpkin Pasties and a few Chocolate Frogs.

They both practically sprinted out the door with their treats, unnoticed amongst the bickering and eventual food fight that was sure to break out, incredibly relieved to finally be free of the chaos that was their family.

.

Rose wandered ahead down the carriage, subconsciously looking for the face her father had pointed out to her on the platform.

Poor Ron, didn't he realise that by pinpointing the boy, he would be igniting the curiosity of a mind like Rose's, which was sure to accomplish the exact reaction he hoped to discourage?

Then again, Ron had always been rather tactless…

As she looked through the glass of the very last compartment door in the carriage, she saw him: blonde with a pale, pointed face.

She slid open the door and he glanced up in surprise. One of his hands held a dog-eared copy of Quidditch Through The Ages and the other was busily messing up the slicked back comb-over his mother had given him that morning.

Al caught up to Rose and entered first, "Anyone sitting there?" he enquired, immediately satisfied by the prospect of the boy being a Quidditch fan.

The boy's expression was stony and emotionless, and he calmly replied, "No, help yourself."

.

Al plunked down on the opposite seat, but Rose stayed by the doorway, curiously and openly sizing him up.

"My Dad pointed you out on the platform. You're Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy ex-Death Eater."

"And you're Rose Granger-Weasley, daughter of Hermione Granger, daughter of Dr. Wendell Granger ex-dentist. If you fancy reciting my family tree, I'll save you the hassle. I know exactly what you're implying, and I've got as much to do with Death Eaters as you have to do with dentistry."

His outward expression was collected and confident, however he fully expected the two to leave the carriage and abandon him in anger.

He'd been warned about the Weasleys and Potters – the disgust he should expect from them because of his family's past.

Al surprised him by sitting down, "So you're a Quidditch fan? I've got to be honest, Quidditch Through The Ages is probably the only book I've ever read more than once."

Rose contrastingly stood staring at the boy, consciously fighting the immensely shocked expression threatening to break out across her face.

She had never been confronted with such snappy repartee and was altogether disconcerted by the calm, mocking retorts of this pale blonde stranger, let alone his knowledge of muggle occupations despite his supposedly pure-blood-supremacist background.

Suffice it to say she was more than a little indignant.

The blonde boy smiled slightly at Al and responded, "I just find Quidditch such a fascinating progression from initial games to the sport we play now and of course the surrounding culture that's emerged-"

Al was a little taken aback by how he talked about the game and correspondingly, Rose was annoyed yet impressed at the boy's socio-cultural interest in Quidditch.

Why hadn't she ever thought of it like that?

.

Al's face must have shown surprise because the boy paused mid-sentence then added, "Plus I'm an avid follower of the Wimbourne Wasps. I live near their home stadium, so I always go see their games, and even their training sessions if they let me."

And with that the two boys began an intense discussion of the new season, their favourite teams and players, and the upcoming 2018 Quidditch World Cup.

They were united in the way that only Quidditch can unite two complete strangers, whilst Rose sat down and sulked silently at being so quickly one-upped by this Scorpius Malfoy.

.

The hours passed, and the blonde boy very cautiously introduced himself formally, "Technically my name's Scorpius Malfoy, but everyone calls me Sam – except my grandparents."

"The grandparents that only just escaped imprisonment in Azkaban…" Rose muttered under her breath.

"Pardon me?" Sam quickly cut in, letting her know he had heard exactly what she had said.

Rose lied smoothly, "I said what kind of derivative of Scorpius is Sam?"

"Well have you ever tried to teach a 2-year old that their name is Scorpius? It's a bloody mouthful. So my Mum just took my initials, 'SM' and added the only sensible vowel."

Eventually their conversation also led to Al's discovery that his father was not merely the Head Auror at the Ministry of Magic, but the saviour of the Wizarding World.

.

"So that's why everyone on the platform was staring at us. I can't believe they never told me!"

"You don't think it was a good thing you didn't grow up a celebrity? Your ego would have inflated to the size of a Nadroj troll," Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah I guess. Rose, did you know our parents literally saved the entire world from the evilest Dark Wizard ever?"

"The Dark Wizard who Malfoy's family supported? Of course, I came across it when I was about eight in Great Wizarding Events of the 21st Century, which I happened to be reading at the time."

Al was confused, "Wait, supported?"

Sam looked at his feet and very quietly responded, "Yeah… my family fought on the other side of the war, the wrong side, but they switched at the last minute. My Dad's done everything he can to make up for it, with charity centres and stuff. He was kind of forced into it anyway…"

.

A very awkward silence filled the compartment until Rose blurted out anything to end the agony.

"You know all the parents made me keep it a secret, and once everyone started going to Hogwarts it became a kind of tradition for each child to learn of our history when they got there. Anyway we'll be reaching Hogsmeade soon, so we should probably go get your robes Al."

"I can get them on my own. You're already dressed Rose, why don't you just stay here?" Al suggested, wanting Rose and his new mate to get to get along a little better.

In fact, Rose wanted nothing more than to never speak to this 'Sam' ever again.

She was exceedingly disturbed by the distinct upper hand he had acquired in their first exchange of words and her pride made her unwilling to repeat the process. Sam, sensing her negative presumption of his character, decided to go with the safest topic he could think of, "So do you like Quidditch?"

.

* * *

.

By the time Al returned to the compartment carrying his robes, it seemed a vehement screaming match between Celestina Warbeck's backing group of banshees was taking place within.

"Quidditch isn't all about winning, the Chudley Cannons have great spirit and-"

"Their motto is 'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.' In what way does that communicate great spirit? If you know a team plays boring – and frankly embarrassing – Quidditch, what on Earth could possess you to continue supporting them? Merlin knows you're not getting anything out of it."

Overlapping insults (Imbecile! You are so incredibly arrogant! The Wimbourne Wasps are such sore losers you ignoramus! Well it's not my profound idiocy senselessly supporting an abysmal team!) ensued until Al entered the compartment cringing.

"All right, all right, Rose get out, we need to get dressed, bye!" And he promptly shoved her out the door, sliding it shut firmly behind her.

Rose stood in the corridor quivering with rage, her ears and face flushed a florid red.

.

'What an idiot,' she thought to herself, turning to make her way back to the rest of her family.

As she walked along the carriage Rose felt a strange shiver remain in the pit of her stomach. She knew an emotion quite unlike anything she'd ever felt before was growing and decided it was pure hatred.

Meanwhile in the compartment, Al admonished Sam, "I was gone for like five minutes. What the bloody hell happened?"

"I discovered you've got a loser for a cousin, that's what happened. Completely barmy she is!" Al sighed, put out that his new friend and favourite cousin clearly didn't get along.

They both changed into their new robes as dusk fell outside their window and their compartment began to darken.

"Looks like the train is slowing down, we must be getting close."

.

Suddenly a voice sounded in their compartment, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Nervous excitement buzzed through Sam's stomach as he and Al walked out into the corridor of the carriage to join the other students, while Al heard his father's voice echoing through his mind, 'The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.'

Sam and Al gradually made their way out of the carriage, following Hagrid's calls.

"Firs' years! Firs' years follow me!"

Precariously attempting not to fall over in the darkness, Al, Sam, Rose and the rest of the First years followed Hagrid's bobbing lamp down the steep, narrow path which led to the boats set on the edge of the Black Lake. As they approached the boats Hagrid waved to Al and Rose, beaming down from his great height.

"Rose! Al! Hello!" They greeted him in return, then Hagrid pointed to the high mountain on the other side of the lake, "See that over there? That's Hogwarts."

.

The First years let out a collective noise of appreciation for the beautiful castle lit up in the night.

"Isn't it amazing Al? I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful," Rose exclaimed loudly in wonderment, proceeding to clamber into the boat in front of them.

Sam was worried at the prospect of having to sit in a boat with Rose, mainly because he was battling the urge to push her and her loud, horribly annoying self into the inky darkness, but Al followed her in and Sam did not want to lose his new friend.

They did manage to make it across the lake without any fuss, mostly because all three were too awestruck to utter any words at all. Their amazement did not stop upon entering the castle, as a tall thin witch who introduced herself as Professor Derwent, led them to the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony.

After the Sorting Hat had sung Professor Derwent began to call out names.

"Astor, John"

After a short pause, the hat shouted.

"RAVENCLAW!" And so the sorting continued.

.

Sam, looking ghastly pale but with his calm mask placed solidly over his features, eventually climbed up to the hat, and after a few moments the Sorting Hat yelled out "SLYTHERIN!"

Al followed him shortly and was immediately sorted into Gryffindor and Rose received about thirty seconds of debate before also being placed in Gryffindor, joining many loudly cheering family members.

Once the sorting was finished Headmaster Brocklehurst, a woman of very large proportions, gave an immensely short welcoming speech and promptly helped herself to five chicken drumsticks.

She clearly wanted to begin eating as quickly as possible, however it was at this point that the feast was quite extraordinarily delayed by something unseen in all the years Hogwarts had ever held Welcoming feasts.

.

Al Potter, quite dissatisfied at being separated from Sam and the arrangement of seating by House, got up from his spot, waltzed over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to his friend.

A hush spread around the room, followed by whispers (Is that Harry Potter's son? What's he doing changing tables?).

Not expecting such bafflement from the majority of staff and students, Al piled some roast beef and potatoes onto his plate and started talking to Sam, ignoring the whispers that resonated through the Great Hall.

"You know seeing you get put in Slytherin almost made me change my mind about wanting to be in Gryffindor. If you're here it can't be as bad as James was making out, but the Sorting Hat was pretty quick at choosing for me."

Composed as ever, Sam replied, "It doesn't really matter, we're making history anyway."

They both grinned widely and continued on as if there weren't hundreds of people gaping from shock at such scandalous dinner placements or newfound friendship.

Eventually the whispers stopped, and everyone's desire to stuff themselves silly overcame their astonishment, however the story of Albus Potter's dinner table escapades filled Hogwarts and its halls for many weeks to come.


	2. A History of Magic

On their first day of classes, Sam was overjoyed to find double History of Magic with the Gryffindors written clearly on his timetable.

He elbowed Al, who was sitting next to him at the Slytherin table, "Hey look, we've got first period together."

"Yeah, but it's History of Magic. James said that's the boringest subject they offer in the whole school."

"No way, I think it will be really interesting to learn how magic has developed since the Dark Ages."

"You nerd, how is it you ended up here instead of in Ravenclaw again? 'Really interested in the development of magic,' ugh that'll put me right to sleep."

.

"Al, hey Al!" Rose's loud blare rose over the chatter of students examining their new timetables, as she walked towards their table.

"We have History of Magic first up, aren't you excited?"

Sam smirked and looked up at Rose before asking, "Who are you again?"

Rose's mouth formed a little 'O' of surprise, before she huffed and continued on as if he hadn't spoken.

"History of Magic is just so fascinating, I can't wait to learn about all the significant wizards who contributed to its development, and-"

.

Al cut in, "I feel like I'm repeating myself around you two. Rose I don't know how _you_ weren't placed in Ravenclaw either, you're looking forward to the subject everyone knows is the most boring class at Hogwarts! You should both take notes for me while I catch up on my beauty sleep, which I didn't manage to get because one of the boys in my dormitory snores worse than Granddad Weasley."

With both Sam and Rose muttering in protest at both Al's insults and his assertion of their similarities, the three started on their quest to find the right classroom, navigating up rickety staircases with vanishing steps (Rose slipped right over after stepping on one) and doors that only opened if asked politely.

.

They finally made it to Classroom 4F, on time despite Rose's tumble, and sat down in the front row at her insistence.

"Good morning class, I am Professor Binns, and today we'll be discussing Emeric the Evil and his role in England during the early Middle Ages. So, do any of you know who he is?"

Rose expectantly raised her hand, confident she was the only student that would have any idea about Emeric the Evil.

"He was a short-lived but exceptionally aggressive wizard, who was once the master of the Elder Wand. He had a lot of fun terrorising the south of England until Egbert the Egregious slaughtered him in a ferocious duel, and then claimed the Elder Wand for himself."

"Very good, ten points to Slytherin! Now then…" Binns began to drone on about Emeric, while Rose gaped openly at the thief who had stolen the moment of glory she had prepared for since the moment she had learnt of Hogwarts' existence.

Sam had his head down, studiously scribbling down notes, but this did not stop a bright red creeping up on Rose's ears then flushing through her entire face, with as much vigour as it did on the Hogwarts Express.

.

Thoughts raced through Rose's mind: _Stupid Malfoy, the smarmy git with all his sodding knowledge and his bally answers. He didn't even put up his hand! That question was_ mine _to answer. How dare he, he, he urghhh!_

Then, just when Rose thought she should return her focus to the lesson and Professor Binns, Sam raised an eyebrow and flashed her a smirk.

"Careful Rose, don't want your head to explode now do we? With your scarlet face, we'd all be covered in blood, because let's be honest there's not too much brain up there."

That was when Rose threw her History of Magic text book as hard as she could at Sam's head.

.

* * *

.

"I asked you two for one thing this morning. 'Take notes while I nap', and you decided to take those instructions as 'let's throw books at each other and yell while Al's literally caught in the middle'? Honestly."

Rose, Al and Sam were sitting at the Slytherin table for lunch after a very volatile History of Magic lesson and a double period of Astronomy and Charms respectively.

"Well it really isn't my fault that Weasley here decided that no one else was allowed to answer questions in class except for her-"

Their voices started getting louder and louder and as Al could foresee another intense argument in his near future, he contemplated moving from his current position between them.

"That was _not_ what my problem was-"

"Oh really, then how come your face turned a delightful shade of Gryffindor crimson after I answered the first question?"

.

Rose never got to reply, because James Potter swaggered over to where the three were sitting before their argument went any further, flanked by Molly and Fred Weasley.

While they all looked very different visually (James taking after Harry with dark hair, Molly fulfilling the Weasley stereotype with red hair and freckles and Fred with his brown skin and huge afro) the gang looked and acted as a unit.

"Al, what are you doing sitting at the Slytherin table?" James asked in disgust.

"Eating lunch."

"With him? You know you'll probably be disinherited right?"

"Yeah come on Al," Fred added, "The only thing worse than being in Slytherin is having to be near them."

"Shut up James, I can be friends with whoever I want," Al retorted.

"You think everyone'll be happy about you being chummy with a Death Eater?"

"Al, Gryffindors' natural enemy is Slytherin," Molly stated calmly.

"Yeah and history speaks for itself," James added, "The Malfoys? They're rotten to the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listening to. Bad blood, that's what it is, and the sooner you learn that the better."

.

Sam expressionlessly rose and picked up his bag, "I'll see you later Al."

"No, wait Sam, you don't have to go, I can eat lunch with whoever I want-" but he had already walked away towards the doors of the Great Hall.

"You're such a _prat_ James!"

Al called out a quick goodbye to Rose (Don't forget Al, we have Transfiguration next in Classroom 1B on the ground floor!)

But Al had already rushed off to find, and figure out, his friend.

.

* * *

.

Al found Sam on the edge of the Black Lake solemnly skipping stones across its surface.

"Sam."

Sam didn't react, continuing to skip stones, his face blank.

"Hey Sam."

Silence, and then the soft splash, splash, splash of Sam's pebbles skipping across the water.

After another period of silence, Al joined Sam in his pattern of searching around for stones and skipping them.

"Look, I'm sorry about that. James is an idiot." One, two, three skips, Sam counted.

.

After another round of pebbles Sam replied, "It's fine. I've been expecting that treatment from the moment I stepped onto platform nine and three quarters. My Dad told me it would happen. After I got my letter… he just sat me down and told me straight." One, two skips this time.

"He told me about what happened during the war, and that because he'd distanced the name of Malfoy from most other pureblood families I probably wouldn't have any friends." One, two, three.

"Apparently the good guys still think we're bad guys, and the bad guys think we're traitors.

He said that Potters and Weaselys would probably be especially awful, which is why I was so surprised that you didn't just toss me aside on the train after you found out who I was, but also why I can handle James' behaviour."

.

Splash, splash, splash, splash went the skipping stones.

"Dad said that everyone would judge me, that there would be hazing and names, but that I had to ignore it at all costs.

If I retaliate, everyone will just think they've been proven right, and that I am some evil Death Eater. So the best way to deal with everything is to walk away." One, two, three skips.

"But-" Al interjected.

"I'm fine Al. Don't worry, I know how to deal with it." One, two, three, four.

"I could write to my Mum, James wouldn't dare cross _her_ -"

.

Finally Sam turned to face Al, raising his voice for the first time. "No! I said I'm fine. Just forget it, okay?"

Al frowned, "All right, all right. What class do you have next?"

"Potions."

"Ok, well I'll meet you at the Slytherin table for dinner?

"Yeah, see you."

Splash, splash, splash, one, two, three, Sam counted as Al walked back up to the castle.


	3. Fluorescent Yellow

By the end of the year History of Magic turned out to be one of Al's most entertaining subjects as a direct consequence of the lesson's incredible dullness.

Although this seems contradictory, the pure boredom incited by Professor Binns and his class meant that Sam was constantly seeking innovative and imaginative methods of pushing Rose to the brink of insanity, as he had already read his text book and made notes for final exams, therefore having no use for Binns' terribly dreary lectures (did anyone really?).

Most of the time, Sam challenged himself into developing complex plans in which Rose was pestered consistently by a seemingly innocuous action until breaking point.

For example, once he attempted to cast a different spell to break her quill's tip every five minutes for the entire lesson (after changing quills, writing more lightly, changing quills again and ignoring it, Rose snapped at the sixty-five minute mark, charming her scrap parchment into vicious paper scorpions that attacked Sam for the rest of the day).

.

However, occasionally Sam enjoyed going old-school and playing tricks on Rose, which had been aggravating young girls for centuries, particularly since the creation of the inkpot.

It was on a day like this which Sam filled two inkpots with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' forever-lasting fluorescent yellow hair dye, sat directly behind her and ever so gently laid Rose's two plaits into the pots for the entire lesson.

Al almost gave Sam away several times with his giggles, however Rose was well trained in the art of ignoring her cousin and his friend in classes where they were downright uninterested in learning anything, and she was busy studiously taking notes.

Of course the real chance of a giveaway lay in how long Sam could ensure she didn't notice her hair's situation, as the yellow dye crept higher and higher up her braids.

Sam kept his wand out and made sure no matter when Rose moved her head, she didn't feel any tugs or pressure on her scalp, and he painstakingly extracted the plaits before the end of class without her turning around, however as Rose was packing her books away one braid swung down near her face and the yellow caught her eye.

.

"MALFOY!" Rose flipped around violently, wand in hand.

"What on earth did you do you fucking arse?" she shrieked.

Over the course of first year Rose had discovered swearing and used it to vent her anger towards Sam, but this time profanities didn't quite cut it, so before Sam could even say 'gotcha' Rose was firing jinxes at him left, right and centre.

" _Locomotor wibbly! Inflatus! Ventus!_ "

And that was how Sam ended up blown across the classroom, incapacitated on the floor, suffering from jelly legs and progressive swelling, and how Rose got sent to the Headmaster's office for Sam's condition, despite her impressive spellwork.

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* * *

.

"I've tried every charm, every spell, every everything, and it's (hit) not (slap) changing (pinch) back (smack) you (punch) fucking (kick) git! (thwack)"

Al and Sam were hysterically laughing, despite Sam's eventual bruising, as Rose sat next to them in the library glaring in indignation.

Sam eventually managed to choke out, "That's the beauty of it! You put in the extra effort, and it's not just a weak spell I could have cast which would have worn off in a few days, it's a FOREVER LASTING Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes enchantment which will last, well, forever!"

He then tugged one of Rose's plaits, collapsing into another fit of laughter, which ceased very suddenly when instead of continuing to rage, Rose calmly opened up some revision notes and proceeded to study.

.

"What… wait what's going on Weasley? No more physical abuse? No more profanities? I mean I never picked Hermione Granger's daughter for a violent foul-mouth but my actions were entirely responsible for you getting sent to the Headmaster…"

Rose smiled and sweetly replied, "Think of the lack of screaming and physical trauma as a thank you for the letter Brocklehurst is going to send to my parents. My Dad is going to be so _happy_ I hexed your arse into the back of Binn's classroom before the end of my first year, I'll probably get a present! And, well, there's no point getting angry when I've got such excellent plans for you Malfoy. In fact, it's pretty impossible to have any hard feelings at all when I _know_ you're going to wish you hadn't been such a prat because of what I've got in store for you."

Sam looked fearfully at Al, fully prepared to run for the hills at the sight of her calm cheerful response, it was downright scary!

Sam was about to offer some sort of deal in lieu of Rose's 'excellent plans' when James strode over to their table with his left and right hand, Molly and Fred, an encircling group of gushing followers and his now customary insults.

.

"How's your study going _Snake_? Be careful yeah, if you stay inside any longer _studying_ your reflective skin might blind everybody in the exam room. Is it human to be that pasty?"

Many people in the small crowd laughed raucously, and Sam's playful expression had, as usual, been replaced with his stony calm mask.

However before he could take his normal course of action and leave quietly, Rose cut in.

"Now James, you know I hate Malfoy more than anyone, but I'm trying to study, so if you wouldn't mind cousin dearest, I'd really prefer you didn't bother me, exams start in sixteen days! Don't worry, I'll do a good job harassing him too."

For a moment James appeared confused, but he did care about Rose, and Rose cared about her exams, so with a nod he turned to go.

"Guess I'll see you later then, _Death Eater_ ," he hissed before leaving the library.

.

Sam glanced upwards from his notes, studying Rose, "You didn't have to do that you know, I would have left."

Rose snorted, "Oh don't flatter yourself Malfoy, I didn't do it for you, I just really want to study, and no one's Herbology notes are more meticulous than yours. If you'd left, I wouldn't be able to look over them, now would I?"

But as sometimes happened when Sam was around; after a particularly heated argument or a strange moment of companionship, Rose felt that shiver in the bottom of her stomach; but she again concluded that it was a side effect of her deep hatred.

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* * *

.

Before any of them knew it, the time for studying for their final first year exams was over.

Up came the written tests (Sam came first in Herbology?! Sam?! _I'll kill him!_ ), and then practical exams were also over (Rose was only a little miffed when Al's hand of bananas cartwheeled more gracefully than hers).

All too soon their first year at Hogwarts was over, and they had boarded the Hogwarts Express for the journey home.

Al and Sam had a compartment to themselves, and were discussing whether or not it would be wise to ask Draco Malfoy if they could visit each other and watch the Quidditch World Cup together this summer, when the door slid open and an authoritative voice blasted at them.

There you are Al! I've been searching the entire train for you-"

Sam softly muttered, "Well technically you've probably only been searching this carriage seeing as movement between carriages is severely discouraged while the train is in motion."

.

Rose shot him a look of disgust and sat down next to Al, "Just thought I'd remind you that Victoire's having a graduation party and everyone's going to Shell Cottage to celebrate."

"Yeah, I remember. Hey Rose, do you reckon I could ask Sam's dad if we can hang out this summer and maybe watch the Quidditch World Cup together?"

Rose mulled this over for a few seconds then replied, "Well he knows you're friends, and while he and your parents weren't on the best terms decades ago he's been very civil to all the Potters and Weasleys since. So yeah, he should be fine about you going to visit Malfoy Manor."

Sam snorted and leaned forward to tug Rose's braid and she habitually responded by pinching his nose in a patronising 'Gotcha nose!' kind of way (it was a small custom they'd developed after Sam kept toying and teasing Rose about her fluorescent hair, which she had eventually cut off).

"You just don't want me hanging around Al's house and Godric's Hollow because I'll be too close for comfort."

"Don't be ridiculous Malfoy, you know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Besides, it would be rather hilarious if my Dad caught you over at mine. You should definitely visit, purely for the entertainment value of course."

Sam smiled, "Of course, for the entertainment value."

This was going to be a good summer.


	4. Knight to E5

Sam ended up spending three weeks with the Potters in Godric's Hollow, enjoying swims in the creek near Al and Rose's homes and a hilarious introduction to electricity and electrical appliances!

He was extremely captivated by movies, so much so, he nearly spent the entire summer on the couch parked in front of the tele.

The highlight though, was of course the 2018 Quidditch World Cup in Chad, where there was a slightly cooler region south of the Sahara desert called the Sahel.

The International Confederation of Wizards Quidditch Committee had managed to smuggle in thousands of viewers into the semi-arid savanna unnoticed and were very pleased with their successful event.

Every Weasley around had access to Top Box seats because of their parents, which is how Sam ended up watching the ultimate showdown between Chad and Peru in the midst of no less than sixteen Weasleys, a Granger, a handful of Potters, and a Lupin thrown in for good measure.

.

James, Molly and Fred stayed well away from Sam, bunched together in a corner of the box, while Bill, Fleur, recently-graduated Victoire and her boyfriend Teddy discussed her upcoming exchange with the French Minister for Magic as part of her new job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Dominique, who had just finished her fifth year at Hogwarts, sat with her best friend Mona dissecting the players' abilities while Louis, a thin tall boy only a year older than Sam, eagerly experimented on a set of Omnioculars with Rose, Al and Sam – their particular favourite feature was the replay knob.

"Brilliant! That witch just keeps spilling her drink all over the wizard in front of her!"

.

Seated behind them were Percy Weasley, his wife Audrey and his ten-year-old daughter Lucy. The poor thing had never been to a Quidditch World Cup before and therefore almost wet herself with excitement after watching the opening ceremony; a complicated show with a dangerous Peruvian Vipertooth dragon and Chadian bultungin (werehyenas) much like bullfighting.

On Sam's right, George and Angelina sat betting on the winning team, while Roxanne knelt backwards on her seat facing Lucy, her braids swinging as she laughed at her best friend's excitement and sharing some Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans to 'calm her down.'

Completing the large crowd of Weasleys was Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny, seated in front of Sam with the youngest of the family, Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley.

Sam, who had grown up with no siblings, one aunt and no cousins, thoroughly enjoyed the comradery of collective screams in support or outrage throughout the game, the Malfoys never let loose enough to yell profanities at referees or players when watching Quidditch.

By the time Peru's seeker Angel Martinez caught the snitch to win the game by a mere 5 points, Sam had gone absolutely hoarse from cheering, but he'd never felt happier.

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* * *

.

That summer, Sam played more games of Gobstones (Al lost so many points that the odour of the iconic nasty-smelling liquid was always faintly following him around), Exploding Snap (Sam lost his eyebrows), Wizard's Chess (Rose always won) and Quidditch than he had in his last twelve years put together – you tended to need more than one person to enjoy such activities.

A week before everyone was set to go back to school, Sam challenged Rose to yet another game of chess at the Granger-Weasley residence, but this one lasted so late into the night that Lily, Hugo and even Al had passed out on the couch well before the end of the game, with only a few snores reaching over to Sam and Rose every now and then.

Rose had been playing chess with her father since she was a toddler, and she had yet to be beaten by anyone other than Ron Weasley himself, but this game struck her with disbelief, was she actually going to lose to Malfoy?

Would he, at any moment, see through her game plan?

Had he already picked up on it, pretended he hadn't and formed a counter? Chess was a mind game as much as anything else.

.

Sam was frowning deeply in concentration, contemplating his next move when Rose noted, "You know I've never played such a long endgame before. We've been playing with less than five pieces each for over an hour."

"Well you probably never met your match before this game," Sam retorted, before instructing his king to move out of harm's way.

Then he grinned, "I guess tonight's your lucky night."

"I don't think so," Rose snorted, her rook and king casually castling with a nod of her chin as their only instruction.

"But if you do win, think of it as a reward for the fantastic fit you gave my father when he first saw you here at the beginning of the summer."

"Rose. That was one of the most humiliating moments of my entire life," Sam groaned as he moved his bishop.

.

"Which is what made it so perfect!" Rose giggled.

She put on her best imitation of Ron, "A Malfoy, a Malfoy. In my bloody house? They're a bad lot, every last one of them – Rosie I thought you hexed him, what's he doing here?"

They both dissolved into chuckles as Rose made her next move.

"And you just slipped on your Malfoy poise, totally prepared to handle his stupid commentary. I'm sure if my Mum hadn't laid down the law about 'guests in our house Ronald, not your house' you'd still be there with your blank little Malfoy mask."

Sam sputtered, "I don't know what you're talking about-"

Rose immediately cut him off, "Bullshit Malfoy! You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's your little routine. Malfoy's probably get special training in how to look like a stone statue every time anyone has a go at you. Honestly, sometimes you look so professional in not reacting, I think you're going into a fucking job interview, coz you just lie down and take it like a little bitch."

As Sam leant over to order his pieces he commented in exasperation, "Will you please _be quiet_ , how am I supposed to concentrate on this game with you swearing like a bloody sailor."

"Did you know I overheard someone literally say 'she's too smart to swear!' one time – What has swearing got to do with intelligence? Case in point, Knight to E5. Checkmate."

Rose's knight moved into position, blocking Sam's king from escape at every angle, then promptly smashing it to pieces.

.

"What!? How did you…" Sam was lost for words as, he had assumed she was targeting with her queen.

Rose laughed and got up from her chair, unsticking her skirt from the back of her legs after the long game.

"Goodnight Malfoy, don't forget to give your face a polish before you go to bed, don't want the marble to blemish, the rags are in the kitchen."

"Shut up Weasley, I hope you have terrible nightmares and that bedbugs bite you to bits."

"Likewise."

.

Sam snorted then stood up too, his hand quickly darting out to tug her braid affectionately, "Good game though."

"Yeah, good game." Rose speedily reached out to pinch his nose even as he tried to duck out of the way.

.

They both laughed and as Rose turned to make her way upstairs, she barely noticed how much she was grinning like an idiot.

It could have been over her victory; Rose was always one to gloat.

But really, she was probably grinning over the fact that she didn't hate Sam's brilliance at chess.

She didn't hate how he tugged on her plait and she pinched his nose, even though they always acted like it was some bizarre contest over who could get the other first.

And however much she pretended, maybe she didn't hate Sam at all… maybe, just maybe, she rather liked him... and that? That was what was making her grin.


	5. Slimy Death Eater Scum

"Oi Malfoy, who said dirty Slytherin blood is allowed to sit at our table?"

It was dinner during their first week back at school and James, currently in his fourth year at Hogwarts, had just waltzed into the Great Hall and headed for the Gryffindor table surrounded by a group of Gryffindors.

James really never seemed to be able to get around anywhere on his own…

"Shove off James, you don't have to bug us every time we decide to eat here," Al angrily shouted at his brother.

"Oh ickle Ally sticking up for his fwend who can never seem to talk for himself, can you _snake_?" As usual, Sam was indeed silent and stony-faced.

"Honestly, if you need to hang around Slytherin filth, do it where the rest of us don't have to look at him, isn't that right?"

His followers nodded and vocalised their agreement, along with quite a few other Gryffindors at the table.

.

"Don't worry, Al, I was finished anyway."

With that Sam shot out the doors of the hall, James and his gang hissing and laughing at him he walked past.

Al looked about ready to murder James, but Rose placed her hand on his arm, "You know Sam wants to deal with this in his own way. Don't get involved. Just bring some food back to his common room for him."

Al looked furiously down at his plate muttering quietly, "I just thought James would have stopped all this already. Why does he have it in for Sam so much?"

Rose frowned, "I wish I knew Al. But I do know that if you act like the hero coming into the rescue, Sam will never forgive you. I just _know_ it would be a real sore spot if you ever dealt with it for him. Just leave it be."

"Yeah, all right. It's just, I know all I would have to do is owl Mum..."

"And if Sam ever found out you did that, it would start up a whole bunch of other shit. Here," Rose said as she shoved a large glass jar she had summoned at Al, piling in some sandwiches from the table, "take this down to Sam."

.

She quickly screwed on the lid and waved her wand muttering, and suddenly the jar looked completely empty.

"If a teacher asks, your parents gave it to you to use as a swear jar in your dorm."

Al laughed, "How do you even come up with this stuff Rose?"

He left the table holding the jar as he made his way down to the dungeons, which suddenly left Rose quite alone.

Without Sam and Al, Rose felt rather lost at the Gryffindor table.

.

Although she loved her family, Dominique was sitting cosily with her new Hufflepuff boyfriend (Rose could think of nothing worse than being an awkward third-wheel), Molly, James and Fred were surrounded by their gang and looked as though they were plotting a prank, Lucy and Roxanne were at the complete other end of the table and Louis was nowhere to be seen.

She hadn't really made any proper friends in her own year other than Al and Sam, and now it was the start of second year, it seemed too late, as everyone already knew each other quite well.

She looked around and saw the girls from her dormitory seated a little further down the table.

She had always exchanged pleasantries with them in her dorm but Rose had never actually had a conversation longer than five minutes with any of them.

.

Beena Hossain was a muggle-born witch with a calm and gentle demeanour. Her smooth brown skin and thick wavy dark hair was offset by the girl seated next to her – Annie Aymslowe.

Annie had light brown hair and pale, freckled skin. She was also incredibly loud and energetic; waving her arms in the air in a hilariously accurate impression of Professor Bradley, Hogwarts' eccentric Divinations teacher.

Jennifer Keothavong was also seated with them, the last of the Gryffindor girls. With almond-shaped eyes, usually scrunched into a cheeky grin that was egging on Annie in some devilish endeavor, Jen had an empty seat next to her.

.

The trio seemed rather preoccupied, but Rose refused to be intimidated.

She lived with these girls, for Merlin's sake!

'You are going to make some new friends tonight' Rose told herself as she took a deep breath.

Quickly, before she could lose her nerve, Rose picked herself up and moved down next to them.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit here?"

.

* * *

.

Rose, Al and Sam were walking down the third floor corridor on their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Cornfoot when it happened.

It was just a regular Thursday afternoon, when the three happened to pass James in the hallway as he jinxed a first year Slytherin, causing him to fall to the floor and spill the contents of his book bag across the corridor floor.

This was not an uncommon occurrence, James was notorious for jinxing Slytherins, particularly any enemy Quidditch players (he was a Chaser on the Gryffindor team), and had this not occurred at the precise moment when Sam was walking past, nothing may have happened at all.

But the young first year boy ended up flat on his face being verbally abused by James and his posse, right in front of Sam – and something inside Sam just snapped.

.

"Where do you get off Potter? Tripping over eleven-year-olds to make yourself feel superior? It's pathetic!"

Sam yelled in outrage, as he bent down and picking up the first year's books and quills, helping him up and ushering him into the crowd that had formed around James and Sam.

"You can talk, you pathetic Death Eater. Your slimy Slytherin face isn't needed here, why don't you just run away like usual."

"Well maybe I would, if you weren't targeting innocent first years-"

James scoffed, "Innocent? No Slytherin is innocent, you're all scum, every last one of you-"

" _We're_ scum?! Us? Why don't you take a look at what you were just doing?"

James tried to respond but Sam's face tinged with pink as he raged on.

.

"But then again that's what history says isn't it? It's always Slytherin, we're the dark wizards, and muggle-torturers and evil dictators. Gryffindors are the heroes, _brave saviours_ they are, and _everyone_ seems to forget that the man who sold out your grandparents and basically signed their death warrant, then singlehandedly brought Voldemort back to power, was an _evil fucking Gryffindor_."

No other sound but Sam's voice could be heard through the corridor as every student in the crowd surround Sam and James stared in confusion.

"Everyone conveniently brushes it under the carpet, like Peter Pettigrew's Sorting counts for nothing, but Slytherins, oh we're all in communion with Voldemort. It's not like Severus Snape played the most important role in the Second Wizarding War acting as a double agent! It's not like Merlin, one of the most powerful wizards of all time and founder of the Order of Merlin which promoted muggle rights, was a Slytherin or anything."

The sarcasm Sam venomously spat out sunk in to the crowd of students as their silence reigned in the corridor.

"It's such a ridiculous double-standard, why don't you just judge people on their actions and what's right! Maybe it's because if you did, you'd have to take a good hard look at yourself Potter, and then tell me who the scummy one is."

.

James's face began to flush, and as he tried, but failed, to respond.

"You strut around this school with a head so big it can barely squeeze into the Great Hall. Why do you think your parents raised you away from all this celebrity shit? So you wouldn't let all that fame go to your head, that's why. Well I guess it was all for nothing because instead of maintaining any semblance of integrity and humility, you've turned into the most arrogant narcissistic prat Hogwarts has seen since Gilderoy Lockhart, haven't you? Letting all those groupies drool over you instead of setting them straight?"

The rhetorical questions kept coming at James, he stuttered, trying to form a coherent reply, but Sam ploughed onwards.

"Look at you, jinxing first years, lapping up all the attention, humiliating people for your own entertainment. Do you know how many students I've found crying in the corridors because of you? Merlin it makes me fucking sick! I could tell you that you should stop because I don't think you'd feel too happy about someone treating Rose or Albus that way and everybody is someone's cousin, or sister or friend. But honestly you should treat people with respect for the mere fact that they're a fellow human being, it's called being a good fucking person, maybe you've heard of it."

.

Confusion and another feeling she couldn't name quickly flitted through Rose… he was so right, how could she not have seen that in James? Why _did_ she always make up excuses for him?

Sam continued his speech, filled with almost two years of suppressed frustration.

"But oh, _James Potter_ , well he's the eldest son of The Chosen One, he's so amazing and famous and _funny_ so he gets a free pass. You all just let him get away with it, don't you? Why haven't any of you ever stood up for the people he picks on huh? You all just look the other way!"

Sam turned his eyes on the crowd and anyone he made eye contact with looked down at their feet in shame or discomfort.

It was true, and they all knew it.

.

"If Harry Potter could see you now, how you act, what you do in this castle… he'd be disgusted. You need to take a good hard look in the mirror Potter, because the only slimy Death Eater scum I see here is _you_."

And with that Sam pushed past James and into the crowd, and after a few more moments of silence a susurrus of whispers spread through the crowd until movement returned and everyone quickly dispersed before a teacher came to see what was delaying their students.

Al and Rose exchanged shocked glances as James disappeared into the throng of children.

Looking at the corridor, it appeared as though nothing had happened.

But it did happen. It happened, and it would not be forgotten for a long time.

.

* * *

.

"Blimey Sam, you were _bloody brilliant_! I knew there was a reason you're my best friend."

Sam laughed as he, Al and Rose sat on a squashy couch in the Gryffindor common room discussing Sam's tirade from earlier that day.

No Gryffindors had uttered a sound to Sam when he had come into the common room and sat down with his friends, a stark contrast from the complaints and mutterings that had always followed him in previously.

However many whispers concerning Sam's explosion that day erupted amongst all of the students who sighted Sam in the hallways (Is that the Malfoy kid who went off at Potter? I heard it got violent – hexes everywhere!), although none addressed him directly.

.

"Well I think it was rather stupid," Rose huffed, "You said all of last year that you wanted to deal with it evasively Malfoy, and then you go and randomly blow up. James hasn't said a word to anyone since, he's just locked up in his room avoiding everyone."

"Well it's not like he didn't deserve it Rose," Sam retorted.

"And who are you to decide what people do and don't deserve Malfoy? James is a good person and I don't think anyone deserves to be publically humiliated like that. You just stooped to his level, you're as bad as he is!"

With that, Rose stormed off up towards the dormitories but as she climbed the stairs, Sam noticed that she took the boy's turnoff.

"Hey Al, Rose just went up the boy's staircase, what do you think she's doing?"

Al grinned, "Well maybe we should go find out."


	6. How Slytherin Of You

"James!?" Rose's panicked voice pierced the silence of the empty 4th Year Boy's dormitory, as she rushed in and shook the lump under the sheets of the bed at the end of the room.

" _Rose_?" The lump mumbled as James pulled the sheets off and was once more recognisable as a boy.

"James, it's happening again, James I can't breathe-"

James immediately sprang into action taking Rose's face in his hands, "Rosie, look at me, _look at me_. You're going to take those deep slow breaths now, okay? Look at my eyes, ready? In, out, in, out. Good, that's it, you're doing great, see? It's all going to be okay, just breathe."

James breathed loudly with her for a few minutes until she had regained her composure, then he let go of her face and softly held her hands in his.

.

"You want to talk about it?" He whispered gently.

Rose drew in another deep breath before replying, "I have a Defence test tomorrow, and I was studying but I couldn't remember anything and I just felt like I was being crushed and – I knew I had to come see you because I couldn't breathe and… you're the best cousin ever, you know that?"

Rose flung her arms around James and sniffed tearfully, "What's family for?" James murmured as he hugged her back.

He drew back and looked into her eyes, "You know you haven't had a panic attack in a while Rosie, not for years. Are you sure it was just the test? Is there anything else bothering you? You can tell me anything, you know that."

"No, there's nothing else. And I'm fine now, thanks to you. I don't know what I'd do without you James. You're always there for me, whenever I need you, you're… you're…"

She paused as though struggling to find her words, "You're the best person I know," she whispered finally, looking straight into his eyes then turning to rest her head on his shoulder.

.

"You'd better not tell Al, but you're my favourite cousin," Rose giggled, "You've never let me down, not once. You're such a good person James."

She said it so assertively James felt he couldn't contradict her, no matter how much he felt like she was wrong.

When she put it like that; it was as though there wasn't even a possibility that James Sirius Potter could be arrogant or hurtful, or a narrow-minded bully.

She reminded him of the person he wanted to be.

The person he knew he could be, if he tried.

And by the time she kissed him on the cheek, bid him good night and left his dormitory, there wasn't a doubt in James' mind.

He was a good person who'd been acting like the world's biggest prat, but now, he was going to change.

.

* * *

.

When Rose and James ceased talking, Sam had looked at Al, confused, "That's weird, I didn't know Rose had panic attacks. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, she used to get them as a kid whenever she had to fly a broom or Floo somewhere. Hasn't happened in about two years though."

The cogs in Sam's mind had been turning and clicking throughout her little spiel to James and he suggested to Al, "We should leave. Rose'd kill us if she knew we'd been spying on her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well good night Sam, see you tomorrow."

Distracted, Sam waved a little as Al continued on up the stairs to his dormitory (muttering 'Not her favourite cousin aren't I?'), while Sam walked back down to the common room and sat waiting between the door to the boy's and girl's staircase.

A few minutes later Sam heard exactly what he expected: the sound of someone walking down the staircase in a lilting rhythm, 'ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.'

.

As Rose turned the corner to go back up the girl's staircase Sam stepped across to block her way, "I always knew you were smart, but I don't think I've ever seen you be so… Slytherin."

"What are you talking about Malfoy?"

"You just acted exactly like a Slytherin" Sam retorted, feigning shock.

"Well it's not like you can talk, don't be so hypocritical. If there's anything more Gryffindor than rashly standing up to a bully in front of half the school for a first year you don't know, spouting some big speech without thinking about the consequences for even a second, I'll eat my witches hat."

Sam snorted, "Oh and having a fake panic attack, pretending James calmed you down, then lying to his face as you gave him that pathetic pep talk about what a good person he is, in order to manipulate his sense of guilt into a desire to change? I don't think anyone could get any more cunning if they tried, that was some artistry right there."

.

Rose was slowly reddening, "I _wasn't_ lying, James is a good person- wait, were you spying on me? You are such an arse!"

"Well you're a complete berk!" Sam retorted sharply.

Anger flooded Rose's expression, "I'm a berk? _You're_ the one who reduced my cousin to a depressed wreck hiding beneath his bed sheets, and the only reason I had to do anything was to clean up _your_ mess!"

"Well something had to be done about his behaviour Rose, even you know it was disgusting."

"There are a million better ways that could've been handled, but you had to get some moment of glory, you just had to jump in without thinking anything through."

Rose took a step closer to shout this in Sam's face, as though proximity would assist his understanding.

As he angrily shouted back, the attention of the entire common room turned to their row.

.

Some kept up pretenses, their eyes glued to their books or games as their ears listened intently, however others openly stared – Rose and Sam arguing at the top of their lungs was a rather entertaining sight.

Hell, some onlookers were close to kicking back and grabbing snacks while they watched the scene unfold.

"Sounds like the kind of bravery a Gryffindor like you should value."

"I would never value such immense stupidity and irrational behaviour!"

They were standing almost nose to nose now, yelling at the top of their lungs, some of the older students were taking bets on who would throw the first hex or jinx into the argument (It was 5 to 1 odds on Rose).

"Irrational behaviour that I think every student in this entire castle will benefit from, with James Potter _finally_ being taken down a peg or two. Pulling him off his pedestal was probably the best Potter-related occurrence since the defeat of Lord Voldemort."

.

"Merlin I _hate_ you-" Rose vehemently growled as she shoved Malfoy in the chest – she had desperately needed some distance from his piercing grey eyes and the intensity of their stare, which hadn't broken eye contact with her blue ones for so long she felt as though all she had ever done in her life was stare into them.

Sam continued to bellow at her, "Well that's inconvenient, because as you can see, I think you're a fantastic witch – oh, sorry, my mistake, I meant _fantastic bitch_."

"Oh your wit surpasses even that of Ravenclaw herself, using a gendered slur against me, would you like an Order of Merlin _Malfoy_?"

She uttered it as though the name itself was the biggest insult of all.

"Yes thanks, I think what I did was morally commendable."

"Oh why don't you just fuck off!"

"Fine."

" _Fine!_ "

"FINE!" Sam spat, his cheeks tinged with pink but looking like alabaster next to Rose's fiery complexion.

.

And as Rose stormed up the stairs Sam forcefully stomped his foot on the first step, leaving it there until a loud wail rang out.

As the alarm sounded, Sam immediately raced out of the Gryffindor Common room to his dormitories in the dungeons while Rose slid backwards down the long, smooth stone slide, which had previously been the girls' staircase, with a yell and a thump.

She lay crumpled on the ground for a few seconds and by the time she got up Sam was long gone.

With a shriek of vexation Rose pounded up the stairs again (they had returned to their usual composition).

.

When she burst into her dormitory with steam practically rising out of her ears, her dorm mates were quick to ask her what on earth had just happened.

"Rose, are you all right? What was that awful wailing sound?" Bee asked, coming over to Rose's bed once Rose had thrown herself onto it.

"It was stupid fucking Scorpius Malfoy and his stupid fucking foot," Rose replied into her pillow.

Placing an arm kindly on Rose's shoulder, Bee said, "He does have a stupid foot."

Greatly appreciating Bee's sympathy Rose sat up, "Thanks Bee. He put his foot on the girl's staircase and it turned the whole thing into a ramp so I slid right down to the bottom. He's such a git."

.

"Woah that's super cool, I didn't know our stairs did that- " Jen began excitedly, but a quick look from Bee's dark brown eyes silenced her.

Catching on, Annie was quick to add, "Yeah, Scorpius Malfoy is a complete git. You know… we could help you get revenge on him?"

Rolling her eyes, Bee laughed, "Oh gosh, not another prank Annie!"

"But it'll help Rose feel better, won't it Rose?" Jen cheekily suggested.

Rose grinned immediately, "It will _definitely_ make me feel better."

.

So Bee acquiesced and the four of them spent the next hour plotting a grand and impossible scheme of revenge, which was so silly it was bordering on fantasy.

They all knew nothing would ever come of any of their ridiculousness but it cheered Rose up completely, and helped to solidify Rose's new friendships with them all.

Nothing brings people together like planning pranks willy nilly and laughing hysterically over the absolute absurdity of them.

By the time the girls went to bed, Rose knew she had a whole group of new people to count on for a laugh and a bit of support.

She was almost rather glad Sam was such a snot-rag.


	7. Girl's Night

Rose and Sam were no longer on speaking terms as of their argument in the Gryffindor common room, unlike James' attitude, which was shockingly different.

He no longer targeted Sam or any other Slytherins, and was relatively civil, so while Al no longer had to deal with James' behaviour, he was stuck trying to mediate Rose and Sam's hostility.

This usually found him dividing his time between them, and Rose found herself happily in the company of her roommates Bee, Annie and Jen.

.

Bee found it refreshing to finally talk to someone who understood all her references to the muggle world.

Rose and her spent hours discussing the conveniences, comforts and cultural aspects of wizard and muggle lifestyles.

And of course they both bonded over numerous entertaining stories about witches and wizards reactions to muggle artifacts – Rose relished telling the most embarrassing ones from Sam's introductions over the summer.

Annie and Jen were as thick as thieves, and were constantly laughing about something or other, as well as generally carrying on like a pair of hooligans – they had recently taken to giving standing ovations to anyone who made a good call, comeback or insult as well as anyone who said or did anything remotely stupid.

While seemingly contradictory and absolutely silly, it provided rather a lot of entertainment.

Stumbled over your words? Standing Ovation.

Tripped through the portrait hole? Standing Ovation.

Made a great joke? Standing Ovation.

.

James and Fred got standing ovations every time they walked into the common room because Annie and Jen maintained their simple state of existence was stupid, and of course extra standing ovations occurred whenever they stated something obvious or ignorant – yeah, James and Fred were not on the best terms with the silly pair of twelve-year-old girls who got away with poking fun at them.

It was not uncommon to hear James and Fred complaining about how they could never get back at the girls, because the teachers would be biased.

Everyone knew whose side the teachers would take.

James and Fred were notorious trouble-makers while Jen and Annie were only second-years, without a reputation.

.

Very late one Friday night Rose was tucked in a corner of the common room with Bee, Annie and Jen getting her toenails painted a deep burgundy twinkling with flecks of gold (GRYFFINDOR PRIDE AYYY) from Jen's new pot of Endless-Polish, which she had gotten for Christmas.

It was almost three in the morning and the common room was empty except for them, and they had decided to stay up talking as the weekend was coming up.

All four were deep in conversation, or rather, deep in a game of 'Snog, Hex, Marry,' and it was Rose's turn.

"Okay Rose," Annie breathed excitedly as she turned upon the girl, "Bobby Entwhistle – Hufflepuff's Star Keeper, Professor Goldstein – our very fit Astronomy teacher, and Scorpius Malfoy – your not-on-speaking-terms cousin's Slytherin best mate!"

.

Rose scrunched her face in disgust, "Ew Professor Goldstein is as old as my Dad! Definitely hex – oh wait no I fucking hate Malfoy, I can't do anything other than hex _him_ – and Bobby? He's got the brains of a toadstool! Can I do hex, hex and hex?"

"No!" All three chorused.

"You know the consequences if you don't answer Rosie… that's right… _tickle war_."

Rose blanched, Bee could be rather menacing when she wished to be, calm and dangerous.

And that was before she added, "And it's everyone against you."

.

They all giggled as Rose quickly proceeded, "No, no, that won't be necessary! Fine, okay I can't stand the thought of anything but a hex with an old man, so I'll be hexing Professor Goldstein girls."

The group whooped at Rose's decision.

"And Bobby is so fucking dull, if I had to spend any extended amount of time with him, I'd probably petrify myself just to get a break, so he'll be snog. And even though I hate Malfoy to my very core at least after we're married I can murder him, cover it up, then inherit his family fortune as a grieving widow."

Bee proceeded to whoop as soon as Rose was done, and everyone collapsed into giggles.

"I knew you'd pick Sam for marriage Rose, it's so obvious you fancy him!" Annie teased putting on a high-pitched voice in imitation of Rose (she imitated anything that she could get her hands on), "Oh Malfoy, stop annoying me and playing pranks on me even though I love the attention and react so dramatically that it's bound to encourage you! Let's pretend to hate each other and bicker because it's the only way we can express how much we fancy each other-"

.

Rose threw a cushion at her head and protested vehemently, " _I do not bloody sound like that_ – and ew, ew, triple ew! I one hundred percent hate Sam. Malfoy means nothing to me. Just my terrible luck that he happens to be Al's best friend, because I'd honestly rather hang out with anyone else in the entire school just to avoid his annoying ferret-face."

They all laughed again, then Rose quickly turned to Bee, "Now it's your turn, PAYBACK TIME!"

They continued playing, laughing raucously when Jen cited her feminist duty to hex ne'er-do-well and overall sleaze-bag Steven McLaggen, and once everyone had had a few turns, they packed themselves up and headed off to bed yawning.

None of them had noticed the Gryffindor common room portrait door swing open after Rose's turn in the game, as a figure clad in Harry Potter's invisibility cloak made its way down to the Slytherin dungeons.

Sam had been avoiding Al all week.

At first he thought Sam was just busy, skipping meals and hang outs to catch up on homework.

But when Al saw Sam in the library through a gap in a bookshelf, just sitting around talking to his roommates he knew for sure that Sam was avoiding him.

Al quickly brushed off the feelings of hurt, and sought out Rose.

Maybe his tension with Rose had bled into their friendship?

Al found Rose in the Gryffindor common room with Jen, Bee and Annie, and quickly hurried over to see if she knew anything.

"Rose, can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Yeah sure," Rose stood up and moved over to another couch near the dormitory staircases.

.

"What's up Al?"

Al frowned deeply, a look of hurt flashing across his face as he mumbled, "Sam's been avoiding me."

"What? Are you sure?"

Al threw an irritated look at Rose, resenting her lack of faith in his ability to tell whether his _best friend_ was really avoiding him or not.

"Of course I'm sure you! And I'm almost doubly sure that's it got something to do with you," Al pointed his finger accusingly at her.

.

"What did you even fight about Rosie? You know, it's so annoying that you two can't just get along, and now Sam's hanging out with the other Slytherins in our year, he's never done that before..."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Well he wasn't avoiding you right after our fight, so it must be something new."

Sighing exaggeratedly Rose reluctantly spat out, "I'll go talk to the idiot, I promise."

"Oh come off it Rose," Albus replied annoyed, "Stop making it sound like you've got to do all the work. I've tried talking to him _heaps_ of times – "

"Yes but you're not prepared to fight dirty in order to corner him. Leave it to me Al."

Al was still entirely annoyed at his situation ( _stupid best friends that can't bloody stand other_ ) but all he said was, "Thanks Rose."


	8. Chums? Pals? Buddies You Might Say?

After the Easter Holidays, the grand total of school days Sam had been avoiding Al, was 23.

Al had counted.

This was because Al had been forced to spend time with a multitude of people except Sam, and he missed his best friend… _a lot_.

He had hung out with Rose most of the time, which he enjoyed as much as he always had, but every so often little things would remind him of Sam and he would become resentful towards Rose for causing him to lose his partner in crime.

Who else would sneak up to the Gryffindor boys' dormitory in the middle of the night to plot pranks?

Who else would annoy Rose to provide entertainment during History of Magic?

Who else would snigger about magical plant reproduction habits over Herbology homework?

.

Rose had attempted to talk to Sam several times, but her plan to jinx him into submission had backfired, as Sam had no qualms about jinxing her back.

As Sam had wised up and gotten on top of his dueling skills, the only way Rose was ever going to get him was by chance – and Rose never left things up to chance. Chance was unreliable!

So she called in some favours that she probably shouldn't have abused, but all the house-elves had a soft spot for the Potters and Weasleys on account of their reverence of Dobby the Free Elf (yes there is a painting of him in the kitchens!).

And so it was that in the second week of their last term of second year, Rose had Sam bound to a chair in an old unused classroom before dinner.

"Thank you Moxie."

"You is welcome miss!" The little house-elf squeaked before bowing and apparating back down to the kitchens with a CRACK.

.

Sam glared at her mutinously before exclaiming with derision, "You used a house-elf to capture me?"

"Yep,"She shrugged, popping the 'p.'

"I guess being the daughter of friends of Dobby (DOFOD for short) has its perks. But that's not what I want to talk to you about. Malfoy, why have you been avoiding Al?"

A blush crept over Sam's face, and he looked at the ground, not replying.

.

'And now for the guilt trip,' Rose thought before continuing, "He's really hurt you know. He misses you, a lot."

And sure enough, guilt surged through Sam's chest, "I miss him too," he muttered quietly.

"Well then why in the name of Merlin's pants are you avoiding him? Why are you ignoring him and hanging out with all your Slytherin mates? Why are you being so-"

"Because you hate me!" Sam exploded.

.

His face turned a light pink as he looked Rose straight in the eyes, "Look at you, standing there questioning me, as if you have the right! You wish I wasn't Al's best mate and you'd rather spend time with _anyone else in the whole school_ than have to be around me! I am nothing to you, so I thought I'd oblige you. This way, I'm not separating Al from his family and you can hang out with Al as much as you like without seeing my annoying ferret-face."

Rose's face paled, she felt her hands start sweating, she felt her stomach churn.

"How did you hear that? Who told you?" She whispered shamefully, feeling like a downright piece of shit.

"No one told me. I was coming down from Al's room in the invisibility cloak after a night of planning some prank, and I heard you with your friends. I left straight away, I didn't even mean to eavesdrop."

'I left straight away, I didn't even mean to eavesdrop.'

.

Why was he so bloody noble? Everything would be easier if he actually was the git she made him out to be.

"Ugh I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I didn't really mean it Sam. They were teasing me about… about _fancying_ you! I mean isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? And I just said it to get them off my back about you."

Sam frowned for a moment then raised his head questioningly, "So what does that mean then?"

"You want me to spell it out?"

"Yep."

He replied, popping the 'p' as she had done – the prat.

.

"I don't hate you. I hate your guts and I hate that you know me so well you can irritate the shit out of me. But even though we don't see eye to eye about… well anything, we're still sort of friends. We argue, and we're mean to each other, you hide my things, and I steal your notes and draw all over them, but we still spend ninety percent of our day together. We share a best friend, so we must have something in common, and sometimes… very rarely mind you, I actually like hanging out with you. I wouldn't want Al's best friend to be anybody _but_ you, because you balance him out – it's like having James without Fred when you're not around."

She smiled before noting, "You keep me on my toes Malfoy, and I'm sorry for saying those things about you. You are something to me, and I do want something to do with you. Everything, in fact, seeing as I'd really appreciate it if you started sitting with us again in class, eating with us, doing homework with us – I'm pretty sure Al will start crying on a daily basis if you don't."

Sam smirked, "Fine. Even I've got to admit that was one hell of an apology. If you'll untie me and give me back my wand? I'm hungry, and I'd like to go to dinner."

.

Rose turned and crouched behind him, quickly removing his ropes with a flick of her wand, and then handing his want back to him.

As soon as he stood up Sam leaned over and gave one of Rose's plaits a good tug, "Owww Merlin's beard! That hurt Malfoy!"

But Rose's mouth twitched, trying to avoid a smile as she pinched his nose.

Sam openly grinned, "I've missed that."

"I haven't," Rose answered petulantly, but the corner of her mouth turned up as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner.

.

"So we're friends are we Weasley? Chums? Pals? Buddies you might say?"

"Oh shut up, you enormous prat!" And as she shoved Sam's shoulder and sent him crashing into a suit of armour (which promptly grumbled then stalked off) she knew things were back to normal.

This illusion was quite shattered when Sam headed straight over to the Slytherin table as usual and sat down with his three mates from Slytherin.

Rose was even more confused when they quickly got up and made their way back over to Rose, who had been standing next to the Gryffindor table biting her lip.

As they got to her Sam read the look on her face and offered up his explanation, "Well I can't just ditch them now that we're pals again Weasley."

And before she could spit out, 'We are not _pals_ ,' they had already seated themselves next to Al, Bee, Jen and Annie.

Despite their cynical looks, they had obviously decided to give the Gryffindor kids a chance.

As Rose sat down with all of them she didn't know quite what to make of the unlikely group.

.

Al on the other hand, was so excited he nearly wet his pants when he saw Sam sit down next to him at the Gryffindor table for dinner, but he settled for throwing his arms around him and hugging him for a good ten seconds.

Sam hugged Al back and then introduced them all properly to his fellow housemates.

"This is Corey," Sam started, gesturing to the tall, thin boy next to him.

"A boy who is living proof that you can live in the dungeons and NOT be so pale that you glow, Malfoy!" Corey grinned, winking and tracing his hand around his face to show off his glowing brown skin.

"As you can see, Corey has quite a mouth on him and can sweet talk his way out of _any_ situation except for Moaning Myrtle, she absolutely HATES him – it's hilarious."

Corey shrugged and smiled, "What can I say, I'm like a gay Bloody Baron. My charm works like his authority; on everyone except the ghost who I sort of killed."

"You sort of killed Moaning Myrtle?" Annie asked curiously.

"Well my Great-Great Aunt was the girl who teased Myrtle so much she ran into the basilisk's bathroom, so basically yeah, I sort of killed Moaning Myrtle, but don't worry, my Mum's side the Patils, we're totally normal."

Everybody laughed, as Annie grumbled, "I wish my relatives were cool like that… My Great Uncle Archie is the founder of F.A.R.T (Fresh Air Refreshes Totally), so uncool."

.

"Oh yeah, I've heard of them! Bloody cookers the lot of them," Corey grinned teasingly.

Sam then pointed to the black boy sitting across from him, "This is Adam."

"Hi," Adam said cheerfully, "Nice to meet you all, and I apologise in advance for anything else Corey says this evening."

Scoffing, Sam continued, "And lastly, this is Greg Baddock," Sam looked at the boy next to Corey.

"I'm kind of considered the lynch pin, you know the the glue that holds the Slytherin boys together," Greg joked.

As they all started to eat and a few conversations started up, Sam looked knowingly over at Rose, who was obviously still dubious about this new seating arrangement.

"We're all getting along fine Weasley," Sam told her.

"Times are changing, and I for one, think that more Slytherins and Gryffindors should have been friends a long time ago."

Rose could say nothing to contest him, so she merely served herself a bowl of curry and started eating – strangely enough, she wanted him to be completely right.


	9. Fancy A Game Of Quidditch

It was the summer before Rose's third year and it started, as so many things do, with a Bludger.

The Slytherins; Corey, Greg, Adam and Sam, the Gryffindors; Bee, Jen, and Annie, as well as some Potters; James, Al and Lily, some Weasleys; Molly, Fred, Rose and Hugo and a few strays; the Scamanders, were over at The Burrow playing a friendly game of Quidditch.

Al was seeking, Lily, Hugo and Jen were chasers while Sam and Annie played the beater position and Molly guarded the goals.

On the opposing team Adam was playing seeker, teamed with chasers Fred, James and Greg, Bee and Corey as beaters and Lorcan Scamander (one of Lily and Hugo's best friends) playing keeper.

Rose and Lysander Scamander were refereeing the match, as although they were passionate followers of the sport, on broomsticks they both had the coordination of a food-poisoned troll.

Besides, Lysander enjoyed commentating so much he never wanted to get on a broom.

.

"And Team Scamander scores again! That makes it 120 – 80, still anybody's game but Team Malfoy is clearly getting left behind here. Come on Lils, all that talent on a world-class broom and you can't get a Quaffle past my idiot baby brother!"

Lorcan protested loudly, "Baby brother my arse Lysander – it was five minutes, five!"

Everybody chuckled at the twins' banter and Lily quickly took advantage of Lorcan's distraction to take possession of the Quaffle and score.

.

"And Lils steals the Quaffle out from under everybody's noses, scoring so quickly you'd think the other team was distracted by a good-looking commentator or something!"

Lily giggled as she flew back around to the middle of the pitch, while Lorcan shook his fist and yelled back, "Lysander, stop it!"

The Quaffle was quickly put into play again and James instantly took possession, however more importantly, Adam sighted the snitch.

He quickly dove down towards the ground on the edge of the pitch, Al far behind him until Sam quickly gave a nearby Bludger a solid whack to veer Adam off course.

"And Sam has hit a Bludger with all his might, what a beautiful shot. It's curving round but – oohh Adam barrel roles out of the way. He flies like an African human-snidget that boy! Adam's quick enough to avoid that bludger but the job's done, he's lost sight of the snitch leaving Al– hey, wait, Rose, Rose watch out!"

CRUNCH.

It all started, as so many things do, with a Bludger. A Bludger to the back of the head, to be precise.

.

* * *

.

"Rose! ROSE? Is she okay? Oh Merlin!" Sam sped down towards her on his broom, thinking over and over again; 'Please let her be all right, please let her be all right, please let her be all right, please let her be all right."

As soon as the Bludger had made contact with a sickening crunch Sam had lost all sense of calm, his heart started pounding loudly in his ears and panic seemed to be clawing its way out of his stomach.

Sam knew she had been knocked unconscious and that she almost certainly had a concussion.

"Lysander! Is she okay?"

His voice cracked and his hands were shaking.

.

Sam knew he had lost it, but all he could do was stand by helplessly as Lysander knelt by Rose, shaking her shoulders trying to wake her up.

He couldn't hear anything other than his own harsh breathing, his peripheral vision began disappearing, a tunnel that lead to Rose's face was all he could see, and a solid block of pain, like a hand clenching at his throat, overwhelmed him.

Lysander's voice suddenly came back into focus, "You should get her back to the house on your broom, quickly – take her to Aunt Hermione, she'll know what to do."

Sam sprang into action.

.

He quickly knelt down and lifted Rose up, with one arm supporting her back and one underneath her legs.

Gently he swung one leg over his hovering broom and laid her horizontally across the broom handle, moving one arm to grip his broom while keeping her back supported with the other.

He flew back towards the house, but he had to move slower than he would have liked for fear of dropping Rose.

When he neared the back door of the house he started calling out, his voice screaming out hoarsely, like dry sobs, "Help, Mrs Weasley! MRS WEASLEY! Help, somebody help us!"

.

Ginny was the first one out the door, and she rushed over hurtling questions at him, "What happened? What's wrong?"

It wasn't long before the rest of the adults swarmed out of the house and surrounded him, with someone lifting Rose from his arms while yet another person ushered him into the house, and everyone bombarded him with questions and yells.

'Get her to Aunt Hermione, she'll know what to do.'

Sam heard Lysander's voice in his head again and as he was swept inside with the group of worried parents, he managed to squeeze through until he was beside Hermione.

.

Sam tried to control himself, but he babbled away as his hands continued to tremble, trying to explain what had happened, "W-w-we were just playing Qu-Quidditch and I hit a B-Bludger, I was a-ai-aiming for Adam, Adam Vaisey, the – nevermind. Adam, A-A-Adam, he dodged it and it kept c-c-c-curving round and it-it hit her in the back of the head and I'm s-sorry, it was an accident, it-it-it was an accident! I'm so so sorry!"

Sam had never stuttered in his life, but the thought of Rose being injured had thrown him into a pit of anxiety, the likes of which he had never felt before.

Hermione listened to him intently as she knelt beside Rose who had been laid on the couch, then she turned to Sam, "Thank you dear, I can take it from here."

"N-no, I c-ca-can't leave her! It's a-all my f-f-fault!"

.

Most of the adults were crowding around the couch Hermione loudly called out, "Give me some space everyone, I think it would be best if _all of you_ waited in the kitchen."

Sam didn't move an inch from his position beside Hermione and Rose, but before he could resist, or even register what had happened, a strong hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him up onto his feet.

Suddenly Sam was slammed against the wall next to the fire place, the fist still clenching the front of his shirt.

Sam stared at the fist, wondering who it could possibly belong to.

It was such a foreign object, and Sam's fear for Rose was severely clouding his comprehension.

Who would want to grab his shirt at a time like this?

It was then that Sam's eyes followed along the arm that was restraining him until he was looking into the very red face of Ronald Weasley.


	10. Quidditch Backlash

The face of an angry Ron Weasley was a terrifying prospect, particularly to a thirteen-year-old boy already on the verge of tears.

"You did this to her, didn't you. Didn't you?"

With every shake of the fist clutching his shirt, Sam's head knocked against the bricks behind him.

A ringing in Sam's ears erupted as dizziness overtook him.

Combined with the adrenaline and panic he was experiencing, Sam could no longer hear or comprehend anything but the colour of Ron's face slowly morphing from red to purple.

Suddenly Sam found himself thrown into the fireplace, and before he knew what had happened he was spinning through the Floo Network and landing on his knees in front of the grate at Malfoy Manor.

Sam felt distinctly sick to his stomach and knew the beginnings of a bruise were forming on the back of his skull.

And he had thought his first encounter with Ron Weasley had been bad…

.

As Sam got to his feet, the Malfoy's house-elf Pisky appeared next to him with a loud crack. ('A paid employee, with sick leave, holidays and health care for your information' he had told Rose once)

"Master Sam is home early, should I let Mr and Mrs Malfoy know?"

"Yes thanks Pisky, just tell them I'm going up to my room."

"Of course sir," and Pisky apparated away as quickly as he had come.

Sam trudged from the drawing room up to his bedroom, worry and helplessness still darkening his mind.

What could he do? He'd been forcibly thrown out of their home, so there was no way he could go back, and everyone probably hated him right now anyway.

Sam knew he could count on Albus to know what was happening and write back straight away.

.

Sam quickly scribbled out a letter as fast as he could.

 _Dear Al,_

 _I'm so sorry for what happened, it was an accident and I hope Rose is all right. Write back as soon as you_ _have any news._

 _Sam_

Sealing up his letter, Sam coaxed his owl Felix off his perch on top of the wardrobe, tied it to his leg and sent him off.

There was nothing else for him to do but wait, and attempt not to think about the horrible occurrences of the day.

.

* * *

.

If Sam thought he had had a bad day, his experience was nothing compared to what Ron Weasley received from his wife when she'd found out what he'd done.

Her voice was dangerously low, and she appeared perfectly calm. It was much scarier than her anger…

"You did _what_? So while I was busy tending to our injured daughter, you were terrorizing a thirteen-year-old boy?"

.

Ron and Hermione were in the living room after having taken Rose up to Ginny's old bedroom to rest after she had regained consciousness.

Al and Hugo were the only ones allowed into her room to ensure she wasn't smothered by over-concerned relatives (*cough*Nana Molly*cough*) and everyone else had flued home – although Bee had wanted to stay, and made Al swear to take his 'don't-let-Rose-fall-asleep-because-she-has-a-concussion' job very seriously.

Al had barely sat down next to Rose's bed when Felix, Sam's owl, appeared at the window.

Rose noticed him first, "Oh, that's Felix. What does Sam want?"

"He probably wants to know how you are because he was the one who hit you with the Bludger."

"Really? The wanker, I'll kill him."

Al laughed lightly as he opened the window to let Felix in, before taking the letter and scanning it quickly.

"What's it say?" Rose questioned, but Al merely scrawled onto the back of the same bit of parchment with a quill and inkpot sitting on the bedside table.

 _Rose is fine and awake. She had a cracked skull but Aunt Hermione healed that, so now she just has a concussion and isn't allowed to fall asleep for the next twenty-four hours._ _I'll write if anything else happens,_

 _Al_

 _._

"Al, let me see!"

But Al merely attached the letter back onto Felix's leg and sent off his reply.

"I'm just letting him know you're okay Rose."

Meanwhile Ron was downstairs attempting to defend his actions, "Hermione, he hit Rosie in the back of the head with a Bludger-"

" _By accident_!" She hissed.

Ron was sitting on the couch, his face having returned to its normal colour, but the tips of his ears were tinged pink in embarrassment as he realised he may have acted rashly.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, but I was scared and worried about Rosie and it was his fault so I just thought-"

"I don't care what you thought Ron, you are going to apologise. Al will owl him to come over for lunch tomorrow and you will say these exact words. 'I Ronald Bilius Weasley am sorry for my irrational and inexcusable behaviour. I understand what happened yesterday was an accident and I hope you can forgive me.' Do you understand?"

"Yes dear."

A few moments later he added, "You know you'd think by now I'd be used to it. But you're bloody scary."

He grinned at her, but Hermione hid her amusement and simply tossed her head before stormed out of the living room to join Ginny in the kitchen, probably to complain about Ron for a good half-hour.

.

* * *

.

The next day Sam did come over for lunch to visit Rose, after Al had sent him an invitation on Hermione's orders (he'd never sent a letter so fast in his life, Hermione _was_ scary.)

When Sam appeared in the fireplace at the Burrow at noon he was greeted by Al and a very awkward-looking Ron Weasley.

Ron nodded very stiffly to Sam before gruffly mumbling, "Look here, I-"

But a sharp glare from Hermione was enough to silence him, and proceed with her apology, word for word, just as she had decreed.

"Well then. I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, am sorry for my irrational and inexcusable behaviour. I understand what happened yesterday was an accident and I hope you can forgive me."

Sam's eyes darted confusingly from Hermione to Ron, before he speedily gave his own apology, "Oh, it's not a problem. And I'm sorry too, that the accident happened at all."

Al had stuffed his fist into his mouth in order to stop himself from laughing, and before the room got any more awkward, grabbed Sam and dragged him up to Rose's room.

As he opened the door a completely expected, yet welcomed, barrage of swearing reached Sam's ears and he grinned.

"I can't believe you hit me in the back of the head with a Bludger, you sodding idiot! Weren't you fucking looking where you were aiming you worthless pile of bat droppings!"

Well, she was definitely all right then.


	11. Congratulations, It's A Boy!

Rose was awoken two mornings later (after she was finally allowed to go to sleep) by Al as he was bringing up a plate of toast, a glass of pumpkin juice and a purple potion the consistency of honey.

"Morning sleepy-head, how're you feeling?"

Rose sat up, fixed her pillows then eyed the potion on the breakfast tray suspiciously.

"I've been told you're not to get any breakfast until you've taken the potion so you can stop staring at it and just get it over with."

Pouting grumpily Rose grabbed the small glass and downed the potion in one gulp.

The flavour was so bitter Rose shuddered with distaste as the thick purple goop slid down her throat.

She shook her head trying to clear her mouth of the foul taste, when her eyes caught sight of a 'Congratulations, It's a Boy' card resting upright on her bedside table.

.

Congratulations, It's a Boy?

No one had given birth, especially not her… not to her knowledge anyway.

Then it hit her…

Who else would give her such a ridiculous card?

Malfoy, of course.

Rose picked it up and took another look at it.

'Congratulations, It's a Boy' was written in block letters across the front, which flashed different colours every few seconds.

Underneath the title was a crude baby drawn in Slytherin green ink, it was crying and screaming silently.

As she opened the card to check inside a stick-figure animation started on the left page.

.

Two stick figures, one with a grossly large and disproportionate green and silver tie and another with two grossly large and disproportionate red plaits started a chase all over the page.

Eventually Stick-Rose caught up to Stick-Malfoy and proceeded to punch him until he was a mangled pile of sticks.

Then she gathered him up and kicked him across to the right page of the card where he landed in a crumpled heap at the start of a paragraph of writing.

.

 _Cherry,_

 _The animation you just saw is actually a prophecy. That's right, I have uncovered the mysteries of divination and seen into the future._

 _You are going to kick my sorry arse from The Burrow to Hogwarts and back. Don't worry, I've said my final goodbyes and come to terms with my imminent demise. I mean, it's only fair; I have beaten you for the top spot in Herbology two years running._

 _But seriously, you have every right to abuse me as you see fit once you're better. I'm deeply sorry that I smacked a Bludger into the back of your head, but if you'd have seen your Father's abuse of me, you probably would have thought it was worth it._

 _It was exactly the kind of Malfoy-humiliation you enjoy most. I'll give you a reference point: Remember how mad he was when I first visited your house?_

 _Multiply that by seventeen, add fear and anxiety to the mix then a final sprinkling of Malfoy prejudice. You'd have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed dying your braids that darling shade of fluorescent yellow back in first year._

 _Anyway, Congratulations, It's a Boy! I'm sure he'll make a fine wizard._

 _p.s. Get well soon. Remember, the sooner you recover, the sooner you get to beat the crap out of me._

 _Jack_

 _p.p.s Yes I did use code names just to mess with you. Bet you 10 sickles you can't figure it out._

 _._

Rose rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face and the giggles that kept escaping her as she read the card revealed her true feelings.

Just as she finished reading, the heap of sticks that was Stick-Malfoy rolled off the top of the paragraph and landed at the bottom before rolling off the edge of the page as the animation started again from the left side of the card.

Rose snorted unattractively before looking up at Al, who was eating her toast.

"Al that was my breakfast!" Rose protested.

"Well you were reading Sam's card, and it was right in front of me, staring at me really."

"You and your stomach, Albus Potter."

Laughing, Al and Rose traipsed down the lopsided steps to the kitchen, but while Al's mind was only on thoughts of more breakfast, Rose's was still thinking of Sam's card – oh and that little shiver in the pit of her stomach was back.

.

* * *

.

"You know Rose, you should consider yourself quite an accomplishment."

Rose and Annie were sitting in the garden of The Burrow sharing a pitcher of pumpkin juice a few days after her accident.

Rose was finally deemed well enough by Nana Molly to have visitors (only one at a time though), and was enjoying her time with Annie laughing at the gnomes who infested the garden.

"And why is that dear Annie?"

"Well you'd agree that Sam doesn't usually freak out much, right? He's pretty 'calm and collected'?"

"Yeah I guess so. It's just an act though, he always puts on the same face whenever he's scared or angry. Like when James used to pick on him. It's this blank kind of stony mask," she attempted her best imitation before laughing loudly.

"Al told me that was so he wouldn't lose his temper, to prove everybody wrong about the whole 'My family are no-good Death Eaters' thing."

"Oh okay. I kind of figured he'd adopted some ridiculous societal rule about men never appearing emotional, because it's weak or vulnerable."

.

"Ugh I thought society was over that already," Annie groaned, rolling her eyes. "There isn't anything attractive about a guy who can't express emotion."

"Well what's your point anyway? Why am I accomplished?"

Annie sniggered at her, scrunching up her freckled nose – which would have been cute except for the fact that she didn't reply to Rose's question.

Annoyed, Rose picked up the pitcher of pumpkin juice before thrusting it threateningly over Annie's head.

"You'd better hurry up and spit it out you giggling prat, before I dump this over your fucking head."

.

Annie lifted her hands nervously to the pitcher of pumpkin juice gently moving it away from light brown locks, but she was still grinning like a maniac.

"Well, I saw him go over to you, the day you got hit. And, well, to be honest, he looked like he was going to cry Rosie.

Like he was about to burst into tears and start bawling – all because of you. I've never seen him look like that at anyone before. And I know I haven't known him all that long, but when you see someone look at another person like that…"

Rose frowned, confused, "What are you trying to say Annie?"

"What I've been trying to say all year, Rosie."

"Rose! It's time for your potion!" Nana Molly called from the house.

Guffawing again, Annie stood up and helped Rose up, and as they walked back up to the house Rose couldn't help but feel very confused.


	12. A Shrine To Dana Belby

" _To Cherry,_

 _Miss Pretensious, you think there's no one smarter_

 _Well I am coming first in Herbology, for a starter_

 _You're a priggish know-it-all, who no one can bear_

' _Cause you are just a buttbunch – No one likes a buttbunch!_

 _And your head is full of ai-ai-ai-ai-aiiirrrrrr!_

 _Love Jack"_

 _._

As the barbershop quartet of singing dwarfs, dressed in golden wings, exited after delivering the Valentine, Rose stood rooted to the spot of the seventh floor corridor getting redder and redder by the second.

Just when she appeared on the verge of exploding, Rose took a deep breath, as if to calm her rage.

But really, it was an inhalation of ammunition; one needed oxygen in order to competently shriek.

.

"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY – that's right I used your full name – WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU ARE SUCH A FUCKING PSYCHOPATH! HOW HAVE YOU ESCAPED BEING MURDERED?! HIDE WHILE YOU CAN, BECAUSE WHEN I FIND YOU, THE CRUCIATUS CURSE WILL BE THE MILDEST FORM OF TORTURE I'LL USE TO PREEMPTIVELY SIMULATE THE ETERNITY IN HELL YOUR SOUL HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO FOR THIS BLEEDING PRANK!"

.

Out of every prank Rose had suffered throughout her third year, this Valentine Sam had sent her was by far the worst.

That was when she decided. She was going to cut off his head in his sleep.

The fourteenth of February was not looking kindly upon Rose, and the large crowd which filled the corridor laughed raucously as she stormed off to Arithmancy, with Annie and Jen vowing to help with her revenge prank, and Bee lending an ear and supporting the horrific and intensive physical torture Rose had planned for Sam.

But violence wasn't the only thing Rose had up her sleeve.

.

As of their third year, Sam and Al had endured several growth spurts, extended periods of voice cracking and the overall awkwardness that is puberty.

While this assisted in their entry onto their House Quidditch teams (Sam as a beater and Al as a seeker) it also brought a new perspective on girls, of which Rose intended to use to her advantage.

Oh, what was that? Girls are potential romantic interests now? How convenient.

Now, any third-year student who hadn't been living under a rock for the last two-and-a-half years knew that Kyle Turpin was Hogwarts' residential gossip.

A fourth-year Ravenclaw with curls, blue eyes and an inability to shut up, Kyle spread rumours instantly and destructively.

Rose was a resourceful girl, and she knew exactly how she was going to get back at Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy for her atrocious Valentine's Day.

.

* * *

.

Sam and Rose sat in Muggle Studies conscientiously taking notes about 'the internet,' the day following Sam's week-long stay in the hospital wing after Rose slyly bombarded him with multiple Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products and hexes at dinner on Valentine's Day without getting caught.

It was at this point that the whispers reached Sam's ears and he rolled his eyes. Lately a lot of whispers had been following him, not to mention titters of glee as the students discussed the latest rumour surrounding Sam Malfoy.

He hadn't heard the specifics of the rumour, but he was sure it was as ridiculous as the last (apparently he danced ritually in the Forbidden Forest clothed in underwear he had managed to steal from the seventh year boys' dormitory).

The rumour that was currently circulating was actually Sam's stalker-ish love of Dana Belby, a fellow third-year Slytherin.

.

Dana was almost universally acknowledged as the loveliest girl in third year.

She wasn't particularly talented in any one field.

She couldn't play Quidditch and she had never topped a class.

Dana Belby was an altogether average girl, except for being the absolute nicest person anyone had ever been.

She was friends with practically everyone in the school, always had a nice thing to say and no matter how mean anyone ever was, Dana would just smile and offer them a chocolate frog.

.

It was almost too easy for Rose to simply inform Kyle Turpin that Sam was deeply in love with Dana, swear him to secrecy and let the magic happen.

Rose then craftily made sure none of their friends told Sam what the rumour was about.

Annie, Bee and Jen willingly went out of their way to keep Sam in the dark, assisting in Rose's plot as promised, and Rose convinced Al and the Slytherins, Corey, Greg and Adam, by saying that 'telling Sam would only embarrass him further.'

The Slytherin boys had truly become a part of their group, to the whole school's, and even their own, surprise.

If it wasn't for the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry that had emerged a thousand years ago after Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor's fight, students probably would've realised how complimentary Gryffindor and Slytherin personalities were (Godric and Salazar were best friends to begin with, you know before the whole murdering muggle-borns thing…).

.

When Jen and Annie wanted to pull a prank on Fred and James, Corey and Adam had the resourcefulness to pick apart the flaws in their plans before cunningly adding wicked solutions, and when Bee had all but given up on handing her potions homework in on time Greg, who was rather brilliant at potions, would determinedly stay up all night with her to help.

And of course all of them were united in their blatant disregard of the school rules.

Speaking of breaking school rules, Rose could hardly wait for her big reveal; divulging to Sam that she had completely fabricated and spread the ridiculous rumour concerning Dana Belby!

.

This meant Sam had suffered the best part of two weeks slightly disconcerted (especially in the Slytherin common room, or whenever he and Dana happened to make eye contact), frustrated (he was sick of being surrounded by whispers which always seemed to stop as soon as he entered a room) and most-deliciously, completely ignorance as to who was responsible.

His most pressing concern however, was Al's sudden misery.

While it might just have been a slump of moodiness, Al had never been so unhappy for such a long period of time and it was starting to worry Sam.

Al wasn't eating properly, he switched speedily from furious to sulky, he hadn't completed his homework in weeks and he refused to talk to Sam except to snap at him about something.

.

So Sam decided to take advantage of Muggle Studies, Rose's and his one shared class without Al, which Rose chose on Hermione's recommendation (learning from the wizarding perspective is highly interesting Rosie!), to ask her about it.

Slowly, so as not to attract the attention of Professor Derwent, Sam leaned his head closer and closer to Rose's, then whispered softly into her ear.

"Rose." She ignored him, so he tried again.

"Rose." Still nothing.

"Ro-ose," he sang.

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, but finding it distinctly uncomfortable to have a face in such proximity to her own, Rose hissed back, "Shut up Malfoy, I'm trying to concentrate."

Sam picked up her nearest plait, tugged on it a few times, and when she still didn't respond, started using the end of it to ever so lightly stroke Rose's neck while continuously whispering, "Rose."

.

Rose's jaw clenched as a funny feeling in her stomach seemed to erupt as Sam's breath and the end of her braid tickled her neck.

"You better quit that if you want the option of ever having children, Malfoy," Rose spat through clenched teeth.

But Sam just grinned, continuing to tickle her until she grabbed his hand, quivering with rage, "You are so lucky I hate detention more than I would enjoy blasting you to the other side of this classroom. What do you want?"

Sam pulled his hand away and whispered, "Do you know why Al's been so pissy lately?"

"No. I noticed, but I've no idea what it's about. Why don't you just ask him you moron?"

Sam scowled, "Don't you think I would have, if I could? He seems to be even sulkier around me. Clams right up, and won't say a word."

"And what's that got to do with me?"

.

Sam looked melodramatically at her, as if she had asked him to murder his mother, "You have to ask him about it for me, of course."

"And why would I do that?" Rose responded drily.

In a much more serious tone Sam responded, "Because you know he's unhappy, and you love him."

Sighing heavily, Rose agreed, "Fine, I'll talk to him about it. Now can you let me get back to work?"

"Sure thing Cherry."

One day, she was going to figure out that code name connection. Hopefully.


	13. Rose's Royal Fuck-Up

The side room off the Entrance Hall was dusty and forlorn, and Rose's footsteps and breathing echoed harshly in the large room, which was empty of furniture and light.

"Incendio," Rose muttered, lighting the brackets along the walls of the room.

It was clear this room was used for nothing except containing the first years before the Sorting.

'Actually,' Rose thought, 'I don't think I've set foot in this room since my first night at Hogwarts nearly three years ago…'

She flinched in surprise, as the creak of a door interrupted her musings, and Sam walked across the stone floor from the opposite side of the room.

.

"Please tell me you've got some good news Cherry."

Rose rolled her eyes before responding tartly, "Hi Sam, I'm great, how are you? Oh you don't have to thank me for coming straight here after dinner-"

"Rose."

The sheer weight in his tone caused her to look at his face, but his expression was as calm and collected as ever.

"He wouldn't say a thing Malfoy. I'm sorry, but… he just told me to bugger off. Multiple times. And with highly colourful and creative phrases."

.

Sam sighed deeply, and Rose watched him closely for any signs of disappointment, but surprisingly he grinned.

"Well then, I guess we're going to have to do a little snooping, aren't we Cherry?"

Rose smacked his shoulder, "Blimey, stop calling me that you bleeding tosser!"

Sam's grin widened, "You only hate it because you haven't figured it out yet."

Tossing her head as she turned to lean against the wall of the room, Rose folded her arms crossly, "Well it's obviously because cherries are red in colour and my hair colour is generally acknowledged as 'red'."

"Well then how do you explain my corresponding codename Jack?"

That was when she punched him in the stomach.

.

* * *

.

Rose was on her way to breakfast when a hand had reached out and grabbed the back of her robes, pulling her into a small passageway hidden behind a tapestry of a plump witch dressed all in white.

'Screw Malfoy and his sodding knowledge of my route to breakfast,' Rose grumbled in her mind, for there was only one person who would be pulling her into secret passageway at this time of the morning.

Before she could complain though, Malfoy was demanding her attention for their plan to figure out Al.

Sam immediately started summarising their final strategy, which they had been brainstorming and organising all week.

.

"Okay, so on our Hogsmeade visit this weekend you're going to lure him to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes on the pretext of wanting to spend more time with him without me hanging around all the time. This is where Corey, Greg and Adam will be waiting, in order to attempt to find out what's wrong so _you_ don't appear suspicious and they'll report back to you after you suggest Al go to The Three Broomsticks to meet Bee, Jen and Annie."

Rose nodded before taking over, "Then I'll meet you at the rendezvous point, the Shrieking Shack, tell you anything I've discovered before returning with you to the castle. We'll then use the Marauder's Map to hunt down Al's roommates and interrogate them as they get back from Hogsmeade, while the Gryffindors keep him busy at the pub."

The right corner of Sam's mouth lifted as his eyes looked Rose up and down.

He let out a short "Huh," as though impressed.

"What?" She asked, confused.

.

"You're actually bloody brilliant. You should join us in a prank some time."

Rose blushed, "You aren't so bad yourself. But I'd never join ranks with you boys; I'm out of your league."

"As if Weasley, you've barely pulled a prank in your life that hasn't been getting back at me. Even then they're more attacks than pranks. Jen and Annie are the best pranksters in Gryffindor, aside from Al of course."

"And that's why I'm so amazing, my complete anonymity. No one ever guesses it was me."

"Oh yeah, what have you pulled then?"

"The flooded Quidditch stands."

" _No_. _No_ _way_."

"Vanished house tables, replaced with small round tables that swapped what was on them every 5 minutes."

"Are you serious Weasley? That was bloody legendary, everyone just assumed it was James and Fred!"

"I could go on. Like I said, I'm out of your league."

With that she smirked, eyes sparkling with mirth, and ducked out of the passageway.

Sam merely rolled his eyes. That girl… Well, she was something.

.

* * *

.

At The Three Broomsticks, Jen, Annie, Bee and Al sat in a booth sipping butterbeer.

Seeing as it was their job to keep Al away from the castle, the girls enclosed him within the booth and kept the conversation going.

Everything was unfolding according to plan until James Potter the second sat down at the booth, alone for once (although he had stopped allowing groups of followers soon after Sam's 'intervention').

"Ally wally, how are you on this glorious Hogsmeade outing today?"

"Fine brother dear, although I have a feeling you've got something up your sleeve to ruin things."

Faking hurt James placed his hand over his heart, "I am shocked that you would think so ill of me Al. Although I won't disagree that it's well-founded. I just want to talk. Feel like we haven't had a heart-to-heart in absolutely ages. Mind if we go for a walk?"

"Well we were having a perfectly fine time with Al, before you so rudely interrupted James," Bee tried to deflect.

But Al had other ideas, "You don't mind, right?"

They had no choice but to nod in agreement for fear of sounding suspicious.

.

It wasn't long until Al and James were out of The Three Broomsticks and wandering through Hogsmeade.

"So I guess you have a crush on that Belby girl, and so does Sam, and that's why you're so bummed, right Alby?"

Shocked and annoyed, Al looked up at his brother, "How did you know that?"

"I'm James Potter. I hear and notice a lot. People just trust me, they tell me things."

"Yeah well, you're right. It bloody sucks."

Putting his arm around Al's shoulders as they walked, James snorted, "Don't be silly Al. It's obvious Sam doesn't give a rat's arse about Belby. We all know who he really fancies. You've got nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

.

James laughed out loud, "Well if you don't know I can't really tell you. Suffice it to say that Sam does not fancy Dana Belby though. All this talk about a shrine… if he had one, you'd know about it."

Al had to nod in agreement.

"Thanks James. I really have needed someone to talk to, about all this stuff."

"I know idiot. I'm your big brother, I look out for you. You know you can always ask me anything you like."

Al didn't know when he'd have another opportunity to talk to James so openly, so he took a chance.

"Well, you never did tell me why you hated Sam so much, back in the beginning. In first and second year."

James looked a little ashamed, "Well, wasn't it obvious? I was jealous."

"What? Jealous?! Why?"

.

"Come on Albus. You walk into Hogwarts, get sorted into Gryffindor, and instead of coming to me for all your tours, and introductions and first few pranks, you go off and sit at the Slytherin table and do all of that stuff with Sam! I knew you'd be sorted into Gryffindor. I wanted to be the one to show the ropes of Hogwarts. For all our teasing and fighting, I wanted to be your big brother properly for those first few months. And it didn't happen. Instead you did everything with Sam. So yeah, I was jealous."

Nodding his head in understanding, Al replied, "I wish you'd just told me that. I'm sorry I made you feel left out."

"It was nothing, don't worry about it. It was also years ago. Sam and I get along just fine now."

Al smiled, "Yeah, I know. Thanks James."

"For what?"

"For this. For being my big brother. Even though you're annoying most of the time, I really do love you."

"I love you too Al."

With that, they continued to walk around, just chatting.

It really was great to have a big brother around Hogwarts.

.

* * *

.

Rose and Sam were walking past the second-floor boys bathroom after questioning a few of Al's roommates when the memo of paper flew over to them.

.

 _Al has gone off with James, we don't know where! Couldn't stop them without looking suspicious. Finish up as quick as you can, they may be heading to the castle._

 _._

"Shit," Rose muttered as she read the note.

"We'd better hurry up Sam, they've lost Al."

"All right, we'll go find one more roommate then leave the last one for another time."

They were just about to set off when the chatter from the bathroom reached their ears.

They had been unsuccessful in rooting out any kind of problem from Al's fellow Gryffindors so far, when the problem reached out and slapped Sam about the ear drums.

"You know, I heard Sam Malfoy, like, keeps a lock of her hair in his dormitory as part of his Dana-Belby-shrine! It's _so_ creepy."

Sam froze to the spot, raise a finger to his lips and pulled Rose by the wrist until they were both leaning against the wall next to the door of the bathroom.

.

The ceramic tiles, marble, and high ceiling gave perfect acoustics for the boys' voices to be heard, as they continued to talk in the bathroom, telling larger and larger lies about Sam's supposed infatuation with Dana Belby.

When Sam had heard enough he walked off down the corridor until the boys were out of hearing range before laughing in relief.

"It's the rumour! The rumour that's been following me around for weeks! The one that I never quite caught the details of, _that's_ what Al's angry about!"

As they headed to the Gryffindor common room Rose kept pace with Sam, "Why would that rumour make Al angry?"

.

"Because he fancies the ruddy pants off of Dana Belby! Has for months. That's why he's been so angsty and miserable, that's why he hasn't been talking to me, that's why he can't stand me at the moment. He knows I know he fancies her, and I'm breaking the bro-code" (Rose sniggered) "by fancying her too – even though I don't! Stupid rumours. I'll just go explain that it's all lies, and everything will be fine."

Suddenly Rose stopped walking. Man had she royally fucked up.

Sam noticed, and turned around to face her, "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, "Now don't get mad, but this is entirely, and I mean _entirely_ , my fault."

Sam looked deeply confused before narrowing his eyes, "What the bloody hell did you do Weasley?"

.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I just wanted to get you back for that stupid Valentine you sent me!" Rose cried out.

" _What. Did. You. Do. Weasley._ "

He walked forwards and Rose put up her hands against his chest in defence, "It was an accide-"

Sam cut her off, as he stared fiercely and he whispered almost inaudibly, "What did you do."

Rose could barely withstand the intensity of his presence, his face centimetres from hers, his hard penetrating gaze seemingly exposing her every weakness – if there was anything more disorienting than a quiet Malfoy, she had never encountered it.

His silent rage stripped her from the comfort zone of their usual yells and melodramatic antics, and she felt thoroughly vulnerable and out of control.

Rose tried to breathe but her breath caught in her throat, and when she felt she would burst from the pressure of the moment she managed to shamefully utter, "I started that rumour."

She finally managed to let out the breath she'd been holding, still staring into Sam's cold grey eyes.

.

"I started that rumour Sam. It was supposed to be humiliating for you, I mean, you allegedly had a shrine dedicated to Dana Belby. It wasn't supposed to-"

Sam had his hands balled into fists at his side, as pinks spots appeared on his cheeks.

"This is beyond the realm of all _conceivable_ fuckery Weasley," Sam hissed, "How could you have been so stupid? You could have picked anyone, _anyone_ , why her?"

Rose broke contact with his fierce granite gaze, staring instead at his tie.

"She's the loveliest girl in our year, I just wanted to embarrass you."

Sam glared at her in silence for a moment then stepped away from her, muttering resentfully, "So my best friend has avoided me for weeks because of _your_ stupid rumour?"

The lump that had grown in her throat choked her and Rose couldn't reply.

.

Turning away from Rose, Sam rolled his eyes, "It was so obvious he fancied her Rose, I can't believe you didn't notice."

He chuckled in reminiscence, "He always says the most ridiculous things in Care of Magical Creatures around her. He once said, and I quote, 'My Nuncle Charlie drains tragons.'"

Rose snorted, then she rested her hand on Sam's arm, "I'm going to fix this Sam, I'm going to tell him it was a prank. You'll have your best friend back, I swear."

Sam turned his head and stared at the light touch on his bicep; the long thin fingers that were sending tingles down his arm.

Then his eyes met Rose's, "It's not really about that. I just want him to be happy again. I don't want him to feel betrayed by me - he, he means everything to me. I'd do anything for him, I love him."

Rose's lips instinctively curved upwards, her heart warming at his simple declaration of love for her cousin.

"Finally Malfoy, something we both agree on."

.

* * *

.

It took Rose all of three minutes to explain to Al that she had been a downright vengeful, gormless daft cow.

"I'm sorry I've been such a twit, Al. Can you ever forgive me?"

Al sighed dramatically, "I don't know Rose, you've committed a particularly heinous crime…"

They both chuckled, and it wasn't long before Al's eyes sought out Dana.

"It's fine Rose. Besides, I shouldn't have let something like this get between me and Sam, I should have just talked to him and I could have sorted it out myself-"

Sam cut in, "I really wished you'd talked to me, but I also know you might have felt betrayed that I would do something to hurt you."

Al smiled, "Anyway, James already told me that Sam never fancied Dana. He fancies someone else."

"Really? Who?" Rose questioned, but Al had already gotten up.

"I think I'm going to go talk to Dana. Wish me luck!"

Al winked, and Rose and Sam shook their heads exasperatingly at each other.

.

"Tell her the whole shrine thing was a ruddy lie from Weasley, won't you Al?" Sam called out after him, but Al was already speeding away across the hall to the Slytherin table.

As Sam finished off his desert Rose smiled at him, "Well Malfoy, we figured it out. All is well once again in the Al-Sam bromance-adventure."

"Thank Merlin," Sam exclaimed, "Although I did want to correct you on one minor detail Cherry."

Sam leaned forward, tugged Rose's right braid and looked her straight in the eyes as his mouth curled into a suggestive smirk, "Dana Belby is definitely not the loveliest girl in our year."

.

He released her braid with a swing, and winked.

Confused, speechless, and unable to speak (let alone respond in her usual fashion of pinching his nose), Rose merely pursed her lips and helped herself to a pudding.

However her ears did turn a particularly shocking shade of pink as Sam got up and headed out of the Great Hall, the smirk never leaving his face.

Yeah, Sam definitely didn't fancy Dana Belby.


	14. Uncontrollable

Fourth year was an out of control year for Rose Weasley.

As her last year of freedom before the shackles of OWLs were upon her, she openly warred with Sam in a battle of wills, intellect and pranks.

Since Rose's cock-up with The-Dana-Belby-Incident, as it was now fondly known, Rose had gone back to basics with some good old-fashioned products.

It had started on the first day of term, when Sam mixed Belch powder into her goblet at lunch.

.

He laughed so raucously while she was uncontrollably burping that she vowed to get him back, which had manifested itself in the form of sneaking into his dormitory bathroom and replacing his new bottle of SleekandShine Shampoo (which he had been bragging about) with Frog Spawn Soap.

Over the course of the school year, Rose had broken out in boils seven times (Bulbadox never gets old!), until shortly after Christmas, when Neville finally put his foot down.

"You were supposed to be collecting bubotuber pus, and now all I have is two incapacitated students that need to go to the hospital wing!"

Rose and Sam both started defending themselves, "Uncle Neville, you _know_ how much-"

"Professor Longbottom, it's not really fai-"

But Neville just held up his hand and cut them off, "Detention, here, four o'clock."

.

* * *

.

"You complete and utter pillock! If you had just kept your bally bubotuber pus to yourself-"

"Oh sod off Weasley! Stop acting like everything's my fault – it takes two to tango!"

Rose shrieked in indignation as she and Sam knelt outside Greenhouse Three planting Abyssinian Shrivelfigs alone in the cold (Neville had sought a warmer environment inside the castle but would be back to check they'd completed their task).

She stabbed her trowel viciously into the ground, digging up much more soil than was necessary and cursing under her breath.

As Sam dumped his small shrub into the shallow hole he had made and covered it with Dragon dung fertiliser, he thought of the perfect endeavor to help vent his frustration.

With a mischievous, and almost imperceptible, twinkle in his eye, it began.

.

"What in the name of Merlin's most baggy Y fronts – Rose, _don't_ _move_."

Rose's head snapped up to glare at Malfoy, but the look of sheer terror on his face left her frozen to the spot in trepidation.

Was there something on her? An acromantula from the Forbidden Forest? A Venomous Tenatcula vine about to poison her? This was why she hated magical wildlife – why were they all so dangerous and terrifying?

Rose would choose a nifty bit of spell work over live creatures any day.

Sam slowly inched over to her, his eyes never wavering from the object just behind her, which was endangering her life.

When he got close enough he grabbed her hand and whispered, "We have to run _right_ _now_. On three. One, two, three."

.

Rose bolted from the Greenhouse, trowel in one hand, Sam's hand in the other, as they sped over the grounds to the edge of the Black Lake.

When they reached the shore Rose gasped out, "What was it?"

At first she thought Sam was just severely out of breath from the run, but he was a Quidditch player so she should have known better.

As he was hunched over with his back to her, shoulders shuddering, Rose took a step closer, "Sam, are you quite all right?"

It was only when she grabbed his arm and turned him around to face her that she saw his face; pink and wheezing for air in between fits of hysterical laughter.

Without a moment's hesitation Rose launched herself at Sam, tackling him to the ground, where she proceeded to slap and punch every bit of him she could reach.

"You – blooming – wanker – I can't – believe – you – made – me – think – I – was – about – to – get – hurt –"

.

Sam thought Rose was angry, but after he grabbed a handful of slimy wet silt from the shore of the Black Lake and plopped it on her head, he knew better.

She hadn't been angry, she'd been mildly irritated.

Now? Now she was angry.

" _I'm going to kill you Malfoy."_

Soil, mud and clumps of grass went flying through the air.

Soon enough Rose pushed Sam into the icy water, and even sooner Sam had dragged her – squealing – into the shallows with him.

As they fought for dominance the atmosphere intensified, Rose wasn't play-fighting, she was viciously attacking and Sam responded, becoming more aggressive – who did she think she was?

Laughing and pranking, without ever even realising how much she meant to him – she was so utterly blind!

Rose felt his shift, this was serious – he wasn't giving her any free punches and he was trying his hardest to pin her down.

She had never wanted to hurt anybody more than she wanted to hurt Sam in this moment.

He was always humiliating her, always trying to demonstrate his unquestionable superiority, and she was sick of it.

She lashed out with her fist catching his cheek bone, and in his dazed surprise she leapt on top of him.

.

Finally Rose had the upper hand, as she straddled him and splashed the freezing water in his face repeatedly until he sputtered and choked.

Then suddenly the tables turned and Rose found herself on her back, arms pinned above her head, water lapping at her waist – and a deep shiver blossoming in the depths of her stomach.

She continued to struggle, but after a few more moments Rose knew there was nothing else she could do.

Her movements ceased as they both breathed heavily, Rose accepting she was completely trapped and that he had won.

They were so close Sam could feel the puffs of air from her lungs against his skin and Rose could see his jaw clenching as the last rays of sunshine glistened off the water droplet hanging from the end of his nose.

They both knew they should move from their current position but neither could break eye contact, so they stayed frozen, Rose's legs still wrapped around Sam's torso from when she had been straddled atop him.

As their chests heaved in unison an overwhelming impulse seized Sam and when he couldn't stand the tension any longer: He kissed her.

.

As their lips collided Rose immediately reacted, her back arching towards him, her mouth vigorously matching his.

Her entire being ached to get as close as possible to whatever had caused that deep shiver to course through her whole body, filling her with an indescribable energy.

Every ounce of energy that had been fuelling their fight – the anger, the violence, the aggression – was thrown into the kiss, and it felt amazing.

Adrenalin slid down Sam's veins like fire as his lips matched hers measure for measure, parting slightly, then caressing, firmly stroking, then deepening the kiss.

As he moved one hand to grasp her hip and the other to cup her cheek Sam's tongue ventured out for the first time and the kiss took a more gentle course as he ran his tongue enticingly along the inside of her parted upper lip.

He was consumed with heat as he tasted the softest, sweetest and most intimate part of Rose Weasley he had ever encountered.

Whether it was the freeing of her hands or the rush incited by his gentle tongue and roaming hands, Rose didn't know, but almost immediately after, she came to her senses and shoved him away from her as hard as she could.

She sat up, confused, breathless, but most of all, livid.

" _What the_ f _uck_."

.

The raw energy that had been coursing through them dissipated, and Sam's calm, collected and snarky exterior was back when he sat up.

"Oh don't pretend like you didn't enjoy that Cherry," Sam smirked, "You kissed back."

Rose's mouth dropped open, but she could form no retort.

Her hands scrambled on the ground and came up with the trowel she had been using for detention.

.

"Ugh! I fucking _hate_ you!" Rose yelled savagely, and then the metal tool was promptly hurled through the air until it thunked satisfyingly into the right side of Sam's head, just missing his temple.

As blood started pouring from a cut next to his eyebrow Rose laid down the law, "We will never speak of this again. Not to each other and not to anyone else. It never happened, do you understand?"

If Sam was hurt, by the cut from the trowel or her words, he didn't show it.

His expression was as blank and controlled as usual.

"Fine, whatever Weasley."

Rose turned away, "Just get to the Hospital Wing, I'll finishing the planting."

And with that, she stalked off back to the Greenhouses, heart beating, lips tingling, body on fire; without another backward glance.


	15. The Quidditch Cup

It was the morning of the last Quidditch match of the year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin in the race for the Quidditch Cup.

At breakfast, Corey turned to Jen and stole some bacon off her plate while saying, "Good luck out there, you losers are going to need it because Slytherin is going to _crush_ it today."

Ah, what was Quidditch without a little boasting and threatening before the game?

"You do realise you're sitting at the Gryffindor table, don't you Corey?" Jen smiled sweetly then gestured to all the Gryffindors dressed in supporting colours staring him down after hearing his comment.

"Yes well, may the best team win – best be off, bye!"

The group burst into laughter as Corey made his way out of the Great Hall casting looking back over his shoulder in case any angry Gryffindors were out to get him.

Al and Sam shared a look before getting up and leaving too, and soon both were in the locker rooms suffering through pep talks from their captains.

.

James, the chaser and captain of the Gryffindor team, was in the middle of warning his players about fouls – _again_.

"Look out for illegal blagging and cobbing, Slytherin play dirty and I wouldn't put it past them to try all the fouls they can possibly think of. Especially against you Al, as seeker you're going to be the target of all their tricks."

Al rolled his eyes, having heard these exact instructions many times before, "I _know_ James.

James continued without taking a breath as though he hadn't heard, "If you're feeling confident try the Double Eight Loop, chasers, I know you can do it and it'll help keep the Slytherin score board down, because remember, we need as many goals as we can to get them out of the running for the Cup."

"We _know_ James," Molly and Jason Pritchard chorused together.

"All right then, I guess we better move out. Hands in everyone."

They each put one hand on the pile, nervous excitement filling all of them.

"One, two, three. GRYFFINDOR!"

.

* * *

.

"And what a beautiful play, the Dopplebeater Defence executed perfectly by Sam and Isobel Gudgeon – GO AL, GO – but there's James Potter back in possession of the Quaffle and he scores! It's now 130-100 Slytherin's way but Al Potter is still tailing the Snitch – FASTER AL, BEFORE BADDOCK CATCHES UP – "

The crowd screamed its support for Lysander's commentary, and Rose yelled right along with them, cheering Al on as he flew after the Golden Snitch.

Al was gaining on the speeding orb of gold every second, any moment he would have it in his grasp!

He twisted and turned in hot pursuit, as Greg, the Slytherin seeker, followed him a broom-length behind.

As Al zoomed into the centre of the pitch he was caught in the crossfire of chasers fighting over possession of the Quaffle.

.

"And there's Bole in possession of the Quaffle but Avery Higgs of Gryffindor has just performed a faultless bit of Bludger work and yes, Bole has dropped the Quaffle – WAIT GET OUT OF THE WAY AL – "

An intense hush fell over the sea of red and green below as the crowd watched captivated.

Al had been so busy dodging players and seeking the Snitch that he'd forgotten to look out for Bludgers from his own team rather than that of Slytherin's, and as his fingers stretched, mere inches from the Snitch he overlooked the Bludger that was hurling straight towards him off the bat of Avery Higgs.

As the Bludger came closer and closer everyone tried to get Al's attention but he was so focused on catching the Snitch he continued on, oblivious to the danger.

Suddenly a streak of emerald green flew past Al and the crowd gasped in baffled amazement as Rose screamed in horror before beginning to run desperately down from the stands in a panic.

.

"No, I don't believe it! I don't believe it – AL HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH – _Gryffindor wins!_ "

Pulling his broom up to a halt in the middle of the pitch Al raised his arm in victory, holding the tiny struggling Snitch in his fingers.

It was only when he touched down on the grass and saw Rose rushing across the pitch in the opposite direction to him that his eyes found a flash of green Slytherin Quidditch robes crumpled on the ground.

Her cries reached his ears and he stared in disbelief, "Sam! Sam, are you okay? Sam! Wake up!"

Al followed her at a sprint, and when he reached her Rose was already kneeling on the ground checking his vitals.

"Rose, what the hell just happened?"

A dry sob escaped Rose while she rolled Sam onto his side into a recovery position and held two fingers to his wrist to check for a pulse.

"You weren't watching for Bludgers Al," Rose yelled accusingly.

"One was headed straight for you, it was going to hit you right in the head and, and, and Sam flew straight at you and took the Bludger to the chest, to save you! It knocked him right off his broom and he fell more than fifty yards. I cast a Cushioning Charm but I was running so I'm not sure how successful it was, everything happened so fast so I don't even know if I cast it in time."

As she finished speaking Sir Inglebee, the Head of the Hospital Wing, rushed over and asked Rose what the situation was.

She explained Sam's condition as best she could as Sir Inglebee levitated Sam and headed towards the Hospital Wing, Rose at his side.

Before Al could follow them, he was crushed by an onslaught of his teammates and supporters cheering at the Gryffindor victory.

He was hugged, and slapped on the back, and high-fived so many times he could barely think and before he knew it, he had been swept up to the Gryffindor Common Room for the victory party.

.

* * *

.

"I'm very impressed with how you handled the situation today Miss Weasley, you've got a knack for Healing."

Rose managed a weak smile at Sir Inglebee and a quiet, "Thank you," before the raucous sound of Sam's teammates bursting in through the doors filled the Hospital Wing.

She quickly backed away from his bed and walked around the mob of Quidditch players, not wishing to explain what had happened again.

As she hurried out a tear escaped her, trickling down her cheek as she made her way to the library, she was in no mood for a Quidditch victory party.

Ever since their detention last term Rose had cut off most of her interactions with Sam.

Their pranks had stopped abruptly, and Rose had kept her distance, not actively ignoring him but keeping contact to a minimum.

She had no desire to deal with the maelstrom of emotions incited by their kiss, and distancing herself from Sam seemed to be a perfectly reasonable way to sweep everything under the magic carpet.

Of course it didn't stop the warm flush through her whole body she felt every time she thought about him (which was at least ten times a day).

As she sat down in a dusty unused corner of the library (the Magical History section) and picked out a book to pretend to read, Rose tried to stamp out the fear, pain and worry surfacing, but it was all too much.

She tried to make sense of the twisting nauseous sensation in her stomach, the great ball stuck in her throat and the numerous tears flowing from her eyes.

She tried to control herself, but all she could see was the Bludger's sickening blow to Sam's chest and his body falling through the air – over and over again.

.

There was only one explanation; she _cared_ about him.

There was no way around it.

Seeing him hurt was agonising because she cared about him.

She sighed at herself.

Crying over Malfoy? What kind of Weasley was she?

She berated herself, 'Stop being ridiculous Rose, he's going to be fine. Besides he's not worth it.'

And she stayed right away from the thought that frightened her the most… That maybe he _was_ worth it.


	16. The Hospital Wing

Al raced to the Hospital Wing as soon as he could get away from the massive crowd of Gryffindor supporters who had smothered him up to the Common Room.

He ran past the beds, checking each one hastily, until he found Sam sitting up, with fellow Slytherin beater Isobel Gudgeon in a chair by his side.

"Merlin, how are you Sam? Are you all right? I got here as fast as I could, that crowd was a menace."

"I'm fi-"

"You are not fine!" Isobel shot Al a look of contempt before continuing, "Scorpius has three broken ribs, a punctured lung and a concussion. All because he took a Bludger to the chest _for you_ , Potter, which essentially allowed you to win the Quidditch cup."

" _Had_ broken ribs and a punctured lung, Inglebee's fixed me up now."

"That doesn't-"

.

Sam interrupted her, "That Bludger was heading straight for Al's head and I've had too much trauma with allowing Bludgers to hit my friends in the skull to just stand by and watch it happen for the sake of a stupid Cup."

Al and Sam shared a look before bursting into laughter while Isobel looked at them both confusedly, completely missing the reference.

Al sat down on the bed next to Sam, looking at him seriously, "Honestly though, thank you so much Sam. You really saved my neck out there today, and she's right, you're the only reason we won."

Smiling he hurled his arms around Sam's neck and embraced him in a very tender hug.

"I love you Sam."

"I love you too Al."

Al only eventually let go for fear of damaging Sam any further, otherwise he'd probably have kept hugging him for a good few hours.

.

* * *

.

It was the morning after the Quidditch final when an open book flew into the Hospital Wing and onto Sam's bed, like a bird.

Curious, Sam picked up the book.

It had a soft brown cover and creamy parchment within.

He opened it to the first page to find a stick-figure animation beginning at the top.

A familiar looking stick-figure with a huge green and sliver tie was running circles around a stick-figure with two huge red plaits waving a page with 'Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology' and a large 'O' grade written on it.

Stick-Rose's facial expression grew angry as her head gradually swelled, growing redder and redder, until it burst splattering Stick-Sam with large chunks of brain and blood.

Stick-Rose then ran down the page and stuck her neck in a large inkpot, popping out with a head and huge yellow plaits.

Sam chuckled as he followed the animation, fondly recalling his first-year escapades with glee.

.

Suddenly a Bludger emerged from the side of the page, zooming around as Stick-Rose and Stick-Sam fled in vain.

First Stick-Rose was bopped on the head, then Stick-Sam was hit in the chest, until they both lay horizontally in the middle of the page, seemingly dead when a speech bubble saying, "You are just a buttbunch – No one likes a buttbunch!" emerged from Stick-Sam's mouth.

Sam snorted so harshly he choked on his own saliva, which only made it funnier when a shrine to Dana Belby (a collection of photos, flowers and a lock of hair) with legs walked past and kicked both Stick-Sam and Stick-Rose to the bottom of the page.

Finally, Stick-Rose picked up a trowel that she found lying on the bottom of the page and flung it at Stick-Sam's head where a fountain of blood proceeded to burst forth from his head as he ran around in circles waving his arms in distress.

The spouting blood from Stick-Sam's head eventually formed the words 'Dear Jack,' on the next page.

Then the rest of the letter appeared on the pages.

.

 _Dear Jack,_

 _Congratulations, It's a Girl! Just kidding, no one could stomach conceiving your child (pun very much intended)._

 _I hope you liked my animation, and remembered how much violence we've enjoyed over the years. What I drew was just a little taste to remind you. I put quite a lot of effort into the violence aspect, seeing as I won't be able to abuse you over the coming weeks as a result of your recovery._

 _Of course you wouldn't be injured in the first place if it wasn't for Avery Higg's blooming bludger that was aimed at Bole, and Al's complete obliviousness of deathly Quidditch injuries. He could've ended up in a bloody coma if that Bludger had hit him, so from the bottom of my dark cavern of bats (heart), thank you._

 _You know, a thought's just struck me. Maybe the reason Bludgers really don't like us is because we don't pay homage to the Bludger deity? It's clear that ignoring her and refusing to offer sacrifices such as broom twigs and old gloves isn't working out for us._

 _Anyway, I hope Sir Inglebee's fixed you right up and that you're out of the Hospital Wing soon, although the fact that you beat me in Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology really does make my head want to explode, so excuse me if I use your time out of action to try and overtake you._

 _Cherry over and out._

 _P.s. This book is something I charmed, it has a twin. You write on the pages and they appear in the twin (which I have in my possession). Likewise, if I write in my book (like I have for this get-well message) it appears in yours. Think of it like muggle instant messaging, but with books. It'll help us keep in contact when I'm busy trying to overtake you in Herbology and you're in the hospital wing._

 _._

Smiling warmly at Rose's present, Sam tucked it under his pillow.

.

* * *

.

 _Hey loser, how are you feeling?_

Sam grinned as the new message appeared in his book.

 **I'd feel a lot better if I had some of my favourite desert.**

Rose snickered as she wrote her reply

 _If you think I'm going to steal something from the kitchens for you, you're wrong._

 **But I'm sick!**

 _Boohoo, I'm in the middle of potions. Like I'm going to go to the kitchens for a slice of lemon tart._

 **But you could have some lemon tart too! Plus, knowing you, you'll finish your potion early anyway. In fact, you wouldn't be writing right now if you hadn't already finished! And Professor Thickey would totally let you out to come see me. I'm a Quidditch Martyr.**

 _Yes, a Slytherin Quidditch Martyr._

 **Yes, yes, we all know your face and hair scream Gryffindor louder than that lion enchantment Lysander made – but Thickey knows we're friends and that I saved the Gryffindor team.**

 _Only if I get some tart._

 **Deal**.

.

* * *

.

"Hey Malfoy, still feel like some lemon tart?"

"Don't I always?" Sam smirked.

As Rose handed him a plate and fork, she rolled her eyes.

Digging in with her own fork she pondered out loud, "You know, I think you're inner Gryffindor made a show on the pitch yesterday, despite the fact that you were playing for Slytherin."

Sam snorted, "What makes you say that?"

"Well you flew into the path of an oncoming Bludger to save Al from a blow to the head.

"That's about the size of it, yes."

"It was brave, and completely stupid, seems to me that Godric would have been rather proud, Malfoy old boy."

.

Sam swallowed thoughtfully, "Blimey, I guess your Gryfindory-ness is rubbing off on me… Merlin's pants, can you imagine if we were in the same house?"

Rose snorted loudly, "The Common Room would have been blown to pieces at least twice by now."

They both looked at each other and laughed, before Sam quietly commented, "I guess Slytherins are always looking to save their own necks until they love something enough to risk it. Like my Grandmother."

Rose looked up at him in surprise, Sam hardly ever mentioned his grandparents because of obvious reasons, but Rose attempted to take it in her stride, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I wouldn't be standing here if she hadn't put her life on the line to save her son."

"So I guess you could say, not all Slytherins are _complete_ morons."

Rose flashed him a devilish smile, "Not all of them no, but that percentage does not include you."

"Hey! I would be offended if this tart wasn't so damn good."

Rose poked her tongue out at him as Sam spooned in another mouthful of tart and attempted to casually change the subject and mention what had been occupying his thoughts, "Scho I hrrd you cas a cuschioning cham for meh," he mumbled through the pie.

"Swallow you ninny," Rose ordered as she rolled her eyes.

.

"I said: So I heard you cast a cushioning charm for me."

"You heard right, it broke your fall a little, clearly not enough seeing as you still received a concussion. But at least you're alive! Al would be about as fun as a wet blanket if you died. Besides, I care about him and he cares about you so you catch a little care from me by default."

Sam probed a little deeper, "So it was all for Al?"

"Of course not, you prat! Hard as it is to believe, you're actually one of my closest friends and I care about your wellbeing. A lot."

One side of his mouth pulled into a smile, "How blasphemous of you Weasley," Sam replied.

Smacking Sam's shin, the only part of him that Rose knew couldn't affect his injuries, she scolded him, "Oh shut up. And stop smiling at me like that!"

She bit her lip as she attempted to repress her own grin.

.

"Oh, and I meant to say, thank you for the book. It's really rather convenient."

"Not a problem, thought you might enjoy the little charmed stick-figure animation too."

"Enjoy? I laughed so hard I choked, Sir Inglebee nearly tried to sedate me so I didn't inadvertently kill myself."

Rose burst into laughter at this, "Well I'm glad you liked it. Anyway, I should probably get to the library, not all of us are excused from homework you know."

"All right."

Standing up to leave Rose waved goodbye, "Get better Malfoy."

"I'll try."

.

As she turned to go Sam called her back, "Hey Rose."

"Yes?"

"We're all right, aren't we?"

Rose pretended she didn't have a clue what he was getting at, "Of course we are."

Sam looked at his hands trying to gather up his courage, "Well, look, it's just, I mean, well - ugh."

He paused and took a deep breath, "Okay, you've been a bit weird since what happened last term, and I'm sorry, I really am. I just wanted to know if you've, well, forgiven me, for doing that…"

Rose smiled, "Of course I forgive you. I had an equal part in it... Besides, what happened yesterday reminded me of what's really important, and, being sore about something as ridiculous as," She paused to phrase her sentence carefully, " _what happened_ , is not important at all. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Sam grinned in relief, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Sam listened to her footsteps fade away until she reached the doors and exited the Hospital Wing, and then he slept more peacefully than he had in months.


	17. The Polyjuice Party

**You ready for the Polyjuice Party tonight?**

 _Ugh. No. I'm still not really sure it's a good idea._

 **Why? Because you're afraid of the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry being destroyed?**

 _No, because it was your idea :P_

 **Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were best friends before their falling out. Everyone seems to forget that.**

 _Yeah, yeah, I know. Plus, personality wise, Slytherins and Gryffindors actually make really good friends if our group is anything to go by. It's definitely a worthy cause, of course I'll be there. I'll also be there in case the party crashes and burns so I can clean things up and keep everything under wraps._

 **You take the whole 'prefect' thing a bit too seriously, don't you think?**

 _Maybe others aren't taking it seriously enough._

 **I still maintain that this party is going to go down in the history books. Just wait till you see it.**

 _Whatever. I'll see you there._

 **Maybe you will, maybe you won't, maybe you won't realise that you have. Ah Polyjuice Potion, it makes everything so much more exciting. Don't you think?**

 _Now I'm more nervous than ever! Blurg. I'm leaving now, Annie's calling. See you at the party (or not)._

 _._

* * *

.

"Annie I can't do this," Bee said emphatically.

"Don't be ridiculous Bee, what is this even about?" Annie yelled crossly.

"It's about everything! How big I am, and my parents would _not_ approve."

"There is nothing wrong with being big, what is everyone supposed to naturally be a stick- " Annie countered.

"I don't want to go," Bee wailed.

Annie walked over to Bee who was sitting on the edge of her bed in a flowing black dress.

"You don't understand what it's like to have so much insurmountable pressure and expectations placed on you by your parents - your parents couldn't care less what you get up to at Hogwarts, they've been here, they know what goes on! But my family is different, it's not just that their muggles and they don't understand what this castle even is, they are not even from Britain! They moved here from Bangladesh when I was 1, and Bangladesh doesn't have a Statute of Secrecy! Magic and myth all mixes into one, they didn't bat an eyelid when Professor Derwent came to tell them I was a witch - they expect as much from me as they ever did! Do you really think they'd agree with me putting on a revealing dress and CHANGING MYSELF INTO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING?"

Annie took Bee by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

.

"I may not understand what it's like to be a muggle-born or a Muslim or anything, but I just want you to know that I love you and support you, and if you don't want to go you don't have to - but I would be a bad friend if I stood by and let that pressure crush you. Friends are here to support you when your insecurities are getting to you, I don't want all that bullshit to dictate your decision to come to this party, okay?"

Annie pulled Bee into a hug.

"Yeah Bee, do you really think I could ever live up to the expectations of Hermione fucking Granger and Ron Weasley, saviours of the Witching World?" Rose chimed, as she moved over to Bees bed and put her arm around her best friend.

Bee sighed and mumbled into Annie's shoulder and beautifully flowery smelling hair, "My parents gave up so much for me… It's hard to balance that with what everyone expects here at Hogwarts, for me to just be like everyone else and understand this world, I don't."

Annie gently stroked Bee's hair and spoke quietly into her ear - pep talks really were her forte.

"Beena Hossain. You are a wonderfully intelligent and kind human, who looks fucking amazing in that dress. Now if you have doubts about your body or your clothing or your parents, that's fine, I just want to remind you how incredible you are."

Jen jumped over onto the bed and joined everyone into a group hug, squeezing far too hard.

"Ughhhhhh" everyone groaned as Jen laughed with glee.

Bee pulled away, looked back at everyone and nodded, "Thanks, I really needed to hear that."

"Now, do you still want to stay in tonight? I'll stay with you, I don't mind," Jen offered, "I'm not really into parties anyway."

Bee stood up firmly, "No, I think I'm ready. I can do this."

"Good. Besides, we're drinking Polyjuice and changing bodies, so you could a) plausibly deny that you were even there and b) won't have to worry about what you look like." Annie giggled.

Bee let out an exasperated sigh, "Why didn't you start with that Annie? You probably could have saved everyone some time"

"Because I needed you to understand how perfect you are. Self-love is important."

Bee rolled her eyes but she was still grinning.

"All right mates, we ready to roll?" Annie said excitedly, looking around at all of them.

Rose stood up and straightened her dress , "Let's do this."

.

* * *

.

"Merlin's beard, have I gone barmy or have the boys single-handedly devised a party that'll end the millennia-old Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry?"

Bee enquired in disbelief as Rose, Jen and Annie walked into the Room of Requirement with her.

It was their fifth year, and they had finally been invited to their first non-Quidditch-victory and non-birthday related party.

Rose was a newly appointed prefect, so she knew she shouldn't be condoning the destruction of about fifty school rules, but then again she'd never been bothered by rules before, and patrols, detention-power and a shiny badge were not about to change that.

.

Annie skipped the line of students and eagerly led them to the desk manned by Greg and Adam, pushing in front of a group of older Gryffindors.

Corey was acting as the doorman, guarding a large curtain next to the desk, and allowing the guests to enter the party after they had been seen to.

"Hey party people," Greg greeted them, before sharing a look with Adam and ticking the girls off on his piece of parchment, "You are all in on the house," he announced with a grin.

Jen grinned back coyly, "Aaah mates rates. Guess it literally pays to be friends with the craftiest bunch of Slytherins to walk the halls since Salazar himself."

"Well that, and you look stunning Jen – if I'm being honest, Greg and I may have let you in for free anyway," Adam said winking at her.

"Naww thanks mate. I guess Laos really knows how to make powerful women who get what they want and look great while doing it. My parents would be proud."

Rose stared in appreciation at her surroundings, "You guys have really outdone yourselves. I've never seen this many Gryffindors and Slytherins standing in a line without any tension or trouble."

"You mean, without a good few broken bones and boils in places you don't want them," Jen added mischievously, elbowing Rose in the ribs with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

.

Adam tapped his nose knowingly, "Well they're all being given a batch of Polyjuice Potion after signing this contract here, which you have to do too by the way, to promise to keep their house identity a complete secret for the duration of the party! Now that's what I call keeping the peace. But there is a family members list so relatives don't accidentally..."

Rose's mouth dropped, "Ew, but this is all completely brilliant. Whose idea was it?"

They all leant down to sign the piece of parchment Greg had indicated, while Corey explained.

"Well Al and Sam had the idea for a Slythindor party, Greg added the whole Polyjuice concept and his potions brilliance to the mix, Adam figured out the economics, admin and the contracts, and I had to really put on the charm to convince everyone from Slytherin and Gryffindor that this was actually a good idea. I'm kind of excited, I mean when everyone turns back, they'll finally see how well we can all get along."

The girls tried to keep how impressed they were under wraps – if those egos got any bigger…

.

Once they had all signed their contracts, Adam handed out their flasks of Polyjuice and gave Rose a scrap of paper with all her family members' Polyjuice identities.

"You've got enough Polyjuice for about four hours. Take a gulp every hour and you should be fine. The five galleon cover-charge at the door on top of what everyone paid when they donated their hair sample made up for all the expensive ingredients, plus a little extra split equally between the gang for all our hard work. But don't worry about the cover-charge, you deserve the discount for putting up with us. Oh, and if you can't recognise yourself, you'd best find out who you are while you're in there. It's a good idea to have a name, especially if you're on someone's relatives list."

The girls shouted their thanks, and gasped as thumping music reached their ears the moment they stepped past Corey and the curtain, into a changing room with curtains on every side.

Looking at each other nervously they held out their flasks of Polyjuice Potion, "Cheers!" Annie exclaimed awkwardly as the knocked their flask together and took a tentative gulp.

.

"Ugh, that's absolutely putrid," Jen exclaimed in horror, gagging as she doubled over in pain, her hair turning from its usual black to a sandy brown and growing rapidly, extending down her back.

Rose didn't mind the taste of hers, but she did feel as if every part of her body was on fire.

Her legs extended, her hands and feet grew bigger and her dress stretched far too tight over her new body.

Bee had flipped out a pocket mirror and squealed at her new reflection, "I'm Warrington! That seventh year Slytherin!"

"Well bully for you. I haven't got a clue who I bleeding well am," Annie moaned.

"Merlin's pants, this dress is far too tight," Rose gasped as she tried to breathe in a dress that was now two sizes too small for her.

Jen rolled her eyes, "Are you a witch or not?"

She whipped out her wand and quickly enlarged Rose's dress to fit more comfortably on her now taller and wider frame.

.

"Everyone all right?" Jen asked, doing a quick check of her own body to see if she could recognise herself.

"Yep," they all confirmed.

As soon as they had all tucked the flasks into their bags, Jen pulled them out of the change room and through the next curtain.

A second later they had stumbled onto the dance floor, which was packed with bodies.

As they got their first look at the room, they all gazed around openly in awe.

To their left was a bar, to their right were dozens of small tables and chairs, and each corner of the room had a differently themed array of couches, cushions, and stools to seat small groups.

One corner was clearly under-the-sea themed, with a painting of the giant squid and clear plastic chairs filled with live fish swimming inside of them.

Another was dragon themed, with a marble dragon's head centrepiece cradling a small fire in its mouth.

.

As the made their way deeper onto the dance floor they were soon lost in the crowd.

Rose forgot what her friends now looked like… Had Annie's hair turned brown or stayed blonde? Was Warrington the seventh year who led Charms Club or the one who played quidditch?

She soon gave up trying to remember and decided to just go with it and dance, she let her body move to the music, feeling freer than she had in a long time.

No one knew who anybody was, so it didn't matter if she made a fool of herself.

.

She busted out moves with everyone on the floor, laughing with strangers, and eventually finding out she had the body of Orianna Quirke, a seventh year Gryffindor.

When her feet hurt from dancing and her throat ached in thirst, she made her way over to the bar where the music magically dimmed itself.

Sam was standing behind the bar serving drinks and Rose greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey Sam!"

"Hi, can I get you a drink?" He asked politely, in a tone he never used with Rose.

Then she remembered he had no idea who she was.

Well this, this could be interesting…

.

"Yes thanks, I'll have a butterbeer."

"You sure? We have firewiskey, elderflower wine and Dragon Barrel Brandy too."

"No thanks, butterbeer is fine."

Sam reached beneath the bar and pulled out a bottle, he smiled as he twisted the lid off and handed it to her.

"So you were one of the masterminds behind this party, weren't you? And here you are, stuck behind the bar unable to partake in any of the fun."

Sam's eyes twinkled as she teased him, "Don't worry, me and the rest of the guys are on rotation at the bar for the night. We're not dumb enough to leave it unattended. I get off in about one minute actually, and I've got my Polyjuice ready."

He held up a silver flask like the one she had in her purse.

He looked up to a spot behind her and Rose turned around to see Oliver Madley, a huge bulky Slytherin sixth year heading towards the bar.

.

"Hey Al- I mean Oliver," Sam laughingly called out in greeting.

He turned back to Rose, "Well, I guess seeing as my substitute is here, I can get going. See you."

Sam waved dismissively, walked out around the side of the bar and disappeared into the crowd, flask in hand.

Rose frowned, did Sam Malfoy just ditch her? The git.

Suddenly a loud bell tolled, even though no bell could be seen anywhere in the room, and everyone stopped what they were doing and took out their flasks.

"Every hour on the hour Rosie," Oliver-Madley-who-was-really-Al stated grinningly.

Rose rolled her eyes, Al had obviously been paying attention to his relatives list.

They both got out their flasks and downed another gulp of Polyjuice to sustain their forms.

Rose turned and made her way back into the crowd as Al stepped behind the bar and started serving others.

As she dove back onto the dance floor ready to groove the night away, Rose couldn't help wondering who Sam had turned into…


	18. Woops

Rose slowly ambled through a dim, draughty Hogwarts, whiling away the last few minutes of her Polyjuice potion with him.

He had grabbed her hand a little while ago while teasing her and, whether by intent or forgetfulness, had not let go.

"You know, even though I was someone else tonight, I don't think I've ever felt more myself than I have these last three hours with you. Do you know what I mean?"

His voice was deep, and resonated throughout the corridor they were walking down, echoing off the cold stone and marble surrounding them.

The torches from the brackets on the wall cast a small flickering of light upon the pair.

It was just enough for Rose to make out his features.

.

She smiled, "Yeah, I feel exactly the same. Having a different face… it kind of lets you be yourself in a weird way, because you have nothing to lose. You're not afraid to be who you are because no one knows you're, well…"

"Youf?" He offered.

She laughed and he glanced at her grinning, his dark brown eyes filled with warmth.

"Yes. Precisely," Rose confirmed.

Their joined hands swung between them as they continued down the hallway peacefully, when Rose stopped abruptly.

Her dress felt looser and as she pulled her hand from his she saw it shrinking before her very eyes.

.

"We're changing back," she observed.

Watching both her hands now in fascination, a thought popped into her mind.

"Hey, close your eyes. I have an idea."

He looked up at her but Rose's hand was already at his eyes, blocking his vision.

"Please, close your eyes," she whispered.

Nervous excitement began to tingle through Rose's stomach and up her spine as she felt her hair grow longer again.

"Okay, fine," he agreed, lowering his lids and tickling her palm and fingers with the butterfly kisses of his eyelashes.

"Mine are closed too… I just, don't want us to find out who we are yet. There's one more thing I have to do," Rose let him know as she dropped her hand, his breath caressing her cheeks and his proximity warming her body.

.

When Rose felt her transformation finish she pulled out her wand and muttered a charm to fix her dress, so that it didn't fall off her frame.

Pocketing her wand, she then ran her hands up his arms until she reached his shoulders. She had to reach up even higher than before to find his face, his normal size was obviously much taller than his Polyjuice form.

She used her thumb to trace his bottom lip slowly, it was soft and smooth.

'Are you really going to do this?'

The stern sensible thought ricocheted through her mind, sounding suspiciously like her mother.

'With a random stranger you happened to talk to all night in a corner of the Room of Requirement?'

'A boy who could be any fourth year or above from Gryffindor or Slytherin that happened to be at your cousin's crazy _Polyjuice Party_?'

.

Although her mind's sceptiscism was questioning her actions, Rose's body did not heed her doubts and she carefully stood up on the balls of her feet, reaching her face up to his, her lips slowly inching nearer and nearer.

His other arm slid around her waist and pulled her flush against his leaner, taller body.

It was harder, thinner, and completely different to the one she had been with all night, but he still felt _very_ _fit_.

Even though all Rose's eyes saw nothing, she felt as if all her other senses were heightened to the extreme.

She could hear his breath catch in his chest – was she making him nervous?

She could smell the scent of butterscotch on his breath – reminiscent of the butterbeers they had shared together that night.

And when she moved forward and pressed her lips to his, she could taste him – and he tasted _amazing_.

As her hands moved across to rest on his upper arms, she could feel one was larger than the other – he must be a Quidditch beater.

Suddenly, it raced through her, from the tip of her probing tongue to her fingers clutching his robes: the shiver.

.

Like a lightening rod of electricity running through her stomach and right up to her lips. A rush of adrenaline. A rising tide of excitement.

His grip on her tightened, he felt it too.

The jolt, the rush, the fire.

His lips captured hers passionately; desirous, but still slow and gentle, Rose was very much in control. However the more he held back, the more Rose wanted, and she dug her nails in fiercely while running her hands across his chest, up his neck, to lock her fingers in his hair, eliciting a growl from him.

He fought back hungrily, eliminating gentle and slow caresses, and replacing them with feverish kisses, his hand running beneath the neck of her dress across her collar bones.

She moaned, the contact from his fingers sending tingles through her body.

She had never opened up herself or her lips like this for anyone before, but then again, this was different, _he_ was different.

He made her burn with such intensity, and she wanted to taste, and feel, and explore with him because he made her forget who she was, where she was, everything.

All she knew was that she wanted him.

.

Her fingers could feel the roots of his hair pull against his scalp, and as her hands travelled down his face, the faintest stubble on his cheeks scratched her palms.

Her tongue could feel his, moving and exploring the inside of her lips, where no one had ever touched before.

His hands were scratching up and down her back and waist, sending crazy sensations rushing to her brain, then they stopped and tried to pull her closer, closer, closer…

Like he wanted to melt into her, like any space between them was more than he could bear.

As her hands continued to cup his face and hair, she paused for a moment.

Something niggled at her.

.

She ignored it, and returned to kissing him but he had noticed.

He pulled away from her lips, gulping in much needed gasps of fresh air, but his forehead rested against hers intimately.

He didn't speak, but he waited, waited for a sign that things were okay.

Both of their eyes stayed trustingly closed, until she realised.

Her hand stroked slowly up his cheek again to grip his hair – there it was again.

She trailed her fingers down his temple and stopped just next to his right eyebrow, rubbing her fingertips over the bumpy rough tissue.

It was a scar.

.

Rose ripped away from him as though she had burnt her fingers on her discovery, rapidly backing away from the middle of the corridor until her outstretched hands met the wall with her eyes still screwed shut.

"Are you okay?" he asked, in an all too familiar voice.

She turned to face the wall, hands covering her face in horror as a steady stream of 'No's flowed out from her mouth.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"

 _How did this happen? How could this have happened again?_ _What was wrong with her? No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO!_

It was a scar. The scar. The scar she had given him with a trowel _the last time_ this had happened.

She knew he had realised too when a string of curse words erupted from behind her.

.

"What the bloody hell? Oh Merlin Weasley, why the fuck do we always get ourselves into these ridiculous situations?"

As she turned around in horror to confirm her suspicions Rose's hands fell limply to her side, her stomach dropping suddenly when her eyes sighted him in the flickering torch light.

His hands were gripping his now-blonde hair, his pale, pointed face revealing how he was equally pissed he was at their circumstances.

.

"You. I spent the whole night with you. _You_. Of course I did. How _perfect_! JUST FUCKING PERFECT! Merlin, how the fuck did this happen Malfoy?!"

Rose's yells would have to suffice her, because no matter how furious she was, she knew she had to keep Sam at arm's length or she might do something even more insane than she already had… if her electrified body and racing heart were anything to go by.

So she stayed back, restraining her desire to beat the living daylights out of him, or be close to him… She didn't really know which one.

.

Then their eyes finally met.

Well there was no denying it now, it had happened.

They really had unknowingly spent the night together at the Polyjuice Party and it had been Sam's lips that Rose had so desperately wanted, and it was Rose's brown eyes that were currently staring deeply into Sam's stormy grey irises.

And of course, like anyone (Gryffindor or not) blaringly confronted with the cold harsh horror of reality, they both ran for their lives.

To the dungeons Malfoy! To the tower Weasley! God speed!

Had she really thought the Polyjuice Party was a completely brilliant idea? Scratch that. More like a completely life-ruining idea.


	19. Fallout

"You know that we know that something is wrong, right Rose?"

Jen's blunt question struck Rose not quite out of the blue.

She knew they had been noticing, and wanting to ask her for a while now, and it had finally happened as she sat tucked into her favourite armchair near the fire in the Gryffindor common room.

Rose obviously hadn't done a very good job at pretending she was fine after the Polyjuice Party (which was of course, a complete success. No Gryffindor-Slytherin fights had broken out since, in fact, some kids were downright friends thanks to the party. And that was quite significant seeing as a Quidditch match was coming up soon and tension should have been at an all-time high).

Perhaps her complete avoidance of the Slytherin Common Room had given her away...

.

"I've no idea what you mean," Rose responded, trying to appear innocent and nonchalant.

"Well then you're a bleeding idiot! You've been in a right state since the Polyjuice Party and it's been six days, so why don't you just spit it out already – we all know something's up."

Jen sounded genuinely irritated and Rose looked up from her book in shock.

"I don't know why you would think that Jen, I'm completely fine-"

Jen retorted in a whiny nasal voice "I'm completely fine."

She returned to her fierce accusation, "Just how daft do you think we are? You've been edgy, nervous and avoiding the Slytherin Common Room like they've had an outbreak of Dragon Pox. So just cut the crap, okay?"

.

"There is nothing wrong Jen, just sod off!"

Rose had never yelled so vindictively at Jen before, but she was far too angry to feel guilty, even though she knew she was just taking her pent-up frustration out on the wrong person.

Jen swore at Rose vulgarly and threw her Divination dream diary onto the ground in anger, before storming out of the Common Room, probably to visit the boys down in the dungeons.

Annie's eyes flicked back and forth between Rose and Bee, silently questioning 'Which best mate should I reason with?' before Bee waved her hand, shooing Annie away until she scooted off after Jen.

Jen's hardline approach hadn't worked in the slightest; if Rose was anything, she was obstinate, so Bee kept silent for a while, pretending to re-read her Transfiguration essay on Inanimatus Conjurus, biding her time until Rose had calmed down.

.

After a few minutes Bee took a deep breath and broached the subject again.

"Rose, I think what Jen was trying to say was that we all care about you. And if we knew-"

Rose cut her off, now ashamed of herself, "I know Bee. If you knew of the circumstances, you might be better able to alleviate my emotional distress."

Bee laughed, "Well I was just going to say we could try to cheer you up or help out, but yeah Rose, if you have to regurgitate the dictionary that you swallowed as a small child, 'we might better alleviate your distress.'"

They both giggled and Bee finally thought she was getting somewhere, so she continued the joke, hoping to help Rose open up further.

.

"You know sometimes you sound so intellectual, I feel like only Sam can really talk back because he's as bad as you – until you get fighting, which is when you regurgitate your dictionary of curse words. You can swear right up there with the best of them Rose!"

Bee chuckled more until she saw the look on Rose's face – she had apparently said something completely horrendous.

She tried to back-pedal, "Well I mean, that's not to say you speak unusually, of course I – we all understand you Rose-"

But Bee's reminder of Sam had flushed Rose bright red, and she froze right up, her face displaying how upset and confused she was.

"I think I'm going to have an early night, bye Bee," Rose mumbled out as quickly as she could.

Then she ran up the stairs to her dormitory.

'Well that went well,' Bee thought to herself as she let out a sigh and slumped down in her armchair.

.

 **Rose, are you okay?**

 **We can sort this out Cherry, everything will be fine.**

 **Rose, can we talk?**

 **Answer me!**

 **Fuck, I know you're reading my messages, just reply!**

 **Are you there?**

 **Please talk to me Rose, we can figure this out, it doesn't have to mean anything.**

 _WHY. Why did you come up and talk to me? Out of everyone at that stupid party. WHY._

 **It was the way you were dancing. You just looked so free. And because you teased me. It seemed flirty. That was why I sought you out, and got you that first drink.**

.

* * *

.

"You never responded to my last message."

Rose jumped in surprise, her heart dropping as she lost hold of the strips of Flitterbloom she was drying as potions ingredients for Professor Thickey after finishing her Strengthening Solution before everyone else.

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Shouldn't you be next door?"

Sam grinned, "I finished my potion early, just like you, so Thickey thoughtfully suggested I come in and help. Isn't that convenient? I did need an opportunity to have a moment alone with you."

"Whatever."

She picked up the strip of Flitterbloom that had fallen onto the floor, determined to ignore Sam at all costs.

What did he think he was doing? Bringing up his last message like that.

She didn't have to respond to anything.

.

"You were just so cute, you know? You looked down at me and said, 'Here you are, stuck behind the bar unable to partake in any of the fun.' Guess I can't resist snark."

He walked up next to Rose and she flinched at his near proximity, it reminded her of the kiss and a warmth rushed through her.

Sam was hurt at her reaction, but he just ignored her and started slicing a new Flitterbloom before speaking again.

"That's what you wanted to know, right? Why I was so attracted to you-"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up Malfoy!" Rose snapped at him.

She had dropped the same piece of Flitterbloom and viciously picked it up again as Sam calmly stood next to her, slicing another Flitterbloom for drying.

.

"No, I don't think I will," he continued, perfectly controlled.

"I haven't even brought up how you've been avoiding me and the Slytherin Common Room for a week. Don't think we haven't noticed. The boys are confused, Jen already told us about how she lost it with you because you wouldn't tell any of them what was wrong, and they're all upset about it, because you're being so selfish-"

The slap rang out in the cold, stone dungeon room and Rose's hand tingled from the contact.

Sam had been expecting it, he had been begging for it, and he reveled in the sting and red mark left upon his cheek – it meant he had gotten to her.

"I. Don't. Care." Rose growled through clenched teeth.

"Look Rose, I just want you to deal with what happened at the Polyjuice Party instead of ignoring it, so we can move on and stop weirding out the group dynamic."

Throwing down the same now-mangled scrap of Flitterbloom onto the work table, Rose spat out "Fine."

She took a few deep breaths, before allowing the indignance and frustration that had been building up over her week of emotional repression to explode outwards.

.

"I cannot believe we happened to spend an entire party together, alone, which ended in a kiss, initiated by me."

Rose's eyes flashed dangerously, daring Sam to interrupt her.

When he didn't, she started to pace backwards and forwards next to the table, talking more to herself than to Sam.

He wanted her to deal with what happened? Fine. She'd deal the fuck out of what happened, and then some.

"I mean, what are the fucking odds? It pisses me right off, and every time I think about it, it pisses me off more than it did previously. I hate what happened, I hate myself for being so stupid, but most of all," her voice quieted to a venomous blame-filled whisper, "I hate you."

Over the five years of their relationship, Rose and Sam had said 'I hate you' countless times.

Sometimes in anger, sometimes in jest, and sometimes just for something to say.

But Sam had never seen this sort of complete malice on Rose's face when she said it.

She was usually angry, sometimes laughing, but never so… dark.

She was past anger, and she almost looked like she was about to cry, as she shoved all responsibility of her misery onto Sam – 'The bint,' Sam thought to himself.

.

"You stole my first kiss last year, and now you've pilfered my first date and my first proper snog, my first sort of, well, crush! And there is nothing I can ever do to change that. Those things were supposed to be fun, and perfect, but now all I have is a bunch of memories tainted by the enormous mistake that is you. So excuse me, if I avoid you for a week and weird out the 'group dynamic,' as you so charmingly put it."

Sam let the silence hang in the air once she had finished.

He watched Rose openly, but she refused to meet his eye, and seemed to find a patch of the floor over by the door, incredibly intriguing.

'So it's all my fault? We'll see about that,' a bitter voice whispered in Sam's head.

When he felt ready, he folded his arms, and spoke.

.

"Have you ever considered that the reason you're so angry is because all the things that I 'stole'; the kiss, the date, the snog, the crush, were utterly perfect?"

"It was not perfect-" Rose tried to cut in, but Sam continued on as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"But instead of accepting how incredible it was, how enjoyable it all was, you're trying to deny it because of your own prejudice."

Rose scoffed in disbelief, but Sam could see Rose's mind picking apart her emotional loopholes.

Rose tried to ignore his claims, but couldn't.

She had to know what he meant, because if he was saying what she thought he was saying…

"What are you implying Malfoy?"

Sam smirked triumphantly, she could see it now.

.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm saying that we didn't make a mistake. I'm saying that it was you who kissed me back, down by the lake."

Rose's stomach dropped.

"I'm saying that it was your choice not to tell me who you were at the bar before I'd taken my potion."

Sam was walking toward her now.

Stepping closer and closer, his clarifications made Rose's blood pound loudly in her ears.

"It was your choice to tease me, your choice to accept my drink, your choice to spend your night with me."

He didn't back down once he had reached her, but Rose stood her ground, her heart leaping.

.

"And most of all, it was your choice to keep your eyes closed and snog me senseless," he smirked triumphantly.

Rose tried to form words as Sam stared her down, but the intensity of his words, his touch, his gaze overwhelmed her so that her breath caught in her throat.

Sam wrapped one arm around her waist and raised the other to cup her cheek.

Her arms slid up to his chest and she was hyper-aware of every part of his body making contact with hers.

She could feel his mouth moving, inches from her ear.

He whispered, "Don't be angry at fate. I think if anything could be perfect, it would be us."

Rose closed her eyes, as tears prickled the back of her eyelids.

What was she really afraid of?

.

Here she was, pressing herself up against Sam Malfoy as he told her that they would be perfect together, and now she was crying?

Fuck this shit. Weasley out.

Rose speedily slid an arm down, pulled her wand out of her pocket, muttered "Petrificus Totalus," pushed Sam off her (letting him thump rigidly to the floor) then ran as fast as she could from the dungeons.

For a Gryffindor, she seemed to be doing a ridiculous amount of running lately.


	20. Archenemy

**Cherry this has to end.**

 **Everybody's worried about you.**

 **Let's just accept what happened and move on, okay?**

 **Al suggested owling Hermione and Ron (yikes!), so I'm writing in my book to let you know. You have the opportunity to get your shit together in time to stop him committing such a heinous felony (I'm worried for my life as I'm sure your Dad would jump at the chance to blame me).**

 **I hate things being weird and I just want everything to go back to normal.**

 **P.s. When I say 'go back to normal' I do mean in the pranking sense. Watch out :P**

.

Rose closed the book and sighed deeply.

Well, there was nothing for it.

She was going to have to pretend that everything was fine 'properly', otherwise Al would be off tattling to her parents – the prat.

It had been a month since the Polyjuice Party, and Rose's friends had given up on understanding her strange behaviour (although they had their almost-accurate suspicions concerning romance, Slytherin House, and the Polyjuice Party).

.

She was still avoiding the Slytherin Common Room, but had managed to get her nerves under control around Sam so no one suspected him as the cause of her erractic behaviour.

As she slipped into a dress Rose pondered the night ahead of her.

It was James' birthday party, in the Room of Requirement of course, and everyone was going to be there.

She was slightly anxious, but mostly excited, about her role at the party and as she tottered about in a pair of high-heeled shoes (now remembering why she never wore them), she prayed she wouldn't mess up.

She had never done anything like this before, but James had begged her for weeks until she finally gave in.

As she carefully walked down the stairs, attempting not to trip over in her heels, she was greeted by a chorus of complaints.

.

"What took you so long Rose?"

"The rest of us got ready absolutely ages ago, where have you been all day?"

"Let's get going or we'll be late!"

So Rose was hurried out of the Gyffindor Common Room by her best friends, although she was followed in twos and threes (so as to avoid being discovered sneaking out by Jane the caretaker) by her abundance of Gryffindor cousins and numerous other partygoers, who were all excited for James' notorious Birthday Bash.

.

* * *

.

As Rose stepped up onto the small stage her stomach gave a sinister lurch.

The lights almost blinded her and as she looked out into the crowd all she could see was darkness.

Sweat coated her palms as she stood in front of a microphone set at the front of the stage.

Her brother Hugo nodded encouragingly, and she stepped closer to the mike, then she opened her mouth.

.

"One, two, three, four, one, two:

What a smile

What a mask."

.

Hugo and Rose strummed together on their guitars as Hugo's band members joined them on bass, drums and keyboard.

Rose's clear alto voice rang out over the dancing throng without embellishments, a simple melody over the top of a straightforward chord progression.

.

"All bluster, so sly

But I think I can see

Maybe a little fear, who knows?

I have watched you

And I'm starting to think.

.

Maybe the truth is that we need this

The chase, the game, it keeps us honest

Let's agree only I could be

Your adversary

Tell me you'll be my archenemy"

.

Rose saw Sam emerge at the very front of the stage, shaking his head in incredulity and laughter.

No one knew that Rose had begged Hugo, a self-professed 'musician' (Hermione was thoroughly worried – 'what if he never gets a _real_ job?'), to teach her how to play the guitar over the summer.

Sam made eye contact with her and she grinned back at him, singing with even more confidence and attitude, and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at him, which prompted an eye roll from him.

.

"I am a brilliant witch

I could beat anyone

But creating diabolical schemes

Has no purpose

Without that one person who can challenge you more

Now I've found you

I'm really not so insane, am I?"

.

Most of the crowd were giggling and clapping their hands to the beat, and the positive reaction encouraged Rose to throw herself into the performance even more – people were actually laughing and appreciating her music? Say whaaat?

.

"Maybe the truth is that we need this

The chase, the game, it keeps us honest

Let's agree only I could be

Your adversary

Tell me you'll be my archenemy."

.

"I'll be your archenemy!" A group of fourth year girls screamed out in unison after the second chorus, causing Rose to laugh herself and look to Hugo for support, but he had cracked up too.

They took a moment before starting the bridge, which roused even more laughs at Rose's theatricality.

.

"Aha

This old ploy

What a move, what a sham

A hidden strike

And you just lie

Like you don't know who I am

Touche.

.

I don't even know

Whether you see what this is

I guess that's part of the show

I want to believe that you don't know

How hard I'm trying to keep up with you

Hiding calmly

Waiting for my opportunity.

.

Maybe the truth is that we need this

The chase, the game, it keeps us honest

Let's agree only I could be

Your adversary

Tell me you'll be my archenemy."

.

Once the song had ended, huge applause broke out from the audience as Rose shouted, "Happy Birthday James! Next year you'll have to pay me for entertainment!"

.

* * *

.

"Far out, since when does Rose sing?".Corey pondered out loud, as he and Adam sat at the bar drinking butterbeer.

"No idea. And she was so funny too! I think she's got a fan base already," Adam laughed as a group of girls crowded around Rose asking for her autograph as soon as she got off the stage.

"Oh go on," Corey encouraged, as he rolled his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Adam, I've been your best mate since First Year, I know when you want to go talk to girls. You're going to fail miserably, but by all means, give it a go."

Adam grinned, "Fine, but I want you to know just because you're 'the charming one' doesn't mean I don't have my ways."

Winking, Adam went over to the groupies that were surrounding Rose.

.

Left alone, Corey scouted the room for their other friends.

Al was over near the stage talking to a good friend of his, Alice Longbottom, a third year.

Bee and Greg were over in a booth laughing incredibly hard, about something or other, and Jen and Annie were trying to fend off Fred Weasley II, who was going all out for pranks, seeing as this was the last of James' birthday parties at Hogwarts.

Deciding to avoid the slimy blob that was attempting to swallow Annie and Jen, Corey made his way over to the booth and sat down next to Bee.

"Adam's gone to try and flirt with one of Rose's new fan girls, mind if I join you two sniggering gits?"

"Ha! Oh Adam... Of course Corey, come and watch us laugh at the misfortune of others at this party. We were just pointing out Annie and Jen's predicament. Did you see that slime monster?"

"Yeah, you've got to admit, James and Fred sure know how to throw a party."

"Cheers to that," Greg crowed, raising up his butterbeer glass.

.

* * *

.

As Rose finally managed to escape from the group of girls that had ambushed her for autographs, she almost immediately bumped into Sam.

He leaned close to her ear to be heard over Hugo's band, who had continued to play after Rose's song, "You hag, since when do you sing, play guitar and write songs about me!?"

Rose just grinned and walked over to the corner of the room where her guitar case was.

She sat down on one of the many beanbags on the floor and crossed her arms, smirking.

"Hugo taught me over the summer. Besides, what makes you instantly assume I wrote that song about you?"

Sam scoffed, "Because I'm the only person you despise with enough passion to fill a song."

Rose laughed, "No comment."

.

 _What a smile_

Sam sat down in a bean bag next to her while shouting, "AHA! That means you think I have an amazing smile."

He flashed her a bright cheesy grin, and Rose snorted, "The lyrics were 'what a smile', not that it was amazing."

.

 _Creating some diabolical scheme, it has no purpose. Without that one person this is all for. Now I've found you I'm really not so insane, am I?_

Sam's face grew mockingly horrified, "Technicalities! But wait. If that song is about me, then that means you are constantly developing diabolical schemes to destroy me!"

"Damn straight I am Malfoy!"

He leaned over and tugged her braid, "You weirdo."

She pinched his nose before he could lean back, "Twat."

"Arse!"

She punched his arm playfully, maybe things could go back to normal?

Maybe she wouldn't have to pretend, and Al could restrain his letter to her parents on her own merit.

.

 _Aha, this old ploy, what a move, what a sham. A hidden strike, and you just lie, like you don't know who I am. Touche._

"So when have I ever pretended not to know who you are?"

Rose rolled her eyes, typical Sam.

What did he think this was, a post-performance interrogation?

"What, have you gone and memorised every lyric Malfoy?"

"No, I just remember what I disagree with."

Rose poked her tongue out at him, "Well aren't you just a bloody contrarian."

"Come on Rose, tell me."

.

"Well a lot of the song is just about an exaggerated character, maybe kind of inspired by you. Everything's blown up for comedic value, but on our second day of school after our fight on the Hogwarts Express, you gave me the biggest smirk and said 'Who are you again?" Even though you knew who I was before I even introduced myself in our compartment, so I knew you were faking it."

Sam roared with laughter, "Typical me. Gosh I'm a genius."

"Oh shut your mouth you useless toerag and go get me a drink!"

But Rose was repressing a smile.

.

 _Maybe the truth is that we need this, the chase, the game, it keeps us honest. Let's agree only I could be..._

"Well, promise me you'll keep me on my toes for the rest of my days Weasley."

 _Your adversary. Tell me you'll be my archenemy._

He held out his hand, "Archenemies?"

She grabbed it and shook it vigorously, letting her smile spill onto her features, "Archenemies."

.

* * *

 _._

 _Thanks for letting me know about Al's owling intentions._

 _I think everything's going to be fine._

 _Everything is back to normal._

 _I mean in the pranking sense too :P_

 _Watch out, archenemy of mine._

 **Thank Merlin Cherry.**

 **I was beginning to think you were lost forever.**

 _You wish! Haha. Good night Jack._

 **Good night Cherry.**


	21. What Stress Can Do

Rose had never been more stressed than the two-week period in which she sat her OWLs.

All her friends were hastily cramming for their subjects, and Sam had even given up on pranking Rose (which really conveyed the seriousness of the matter more than anything else).

'She's off her rocker,' was constantly thrown Rose's way – what with her tearing about the castle to the Slytherin Common Room to nick Sam's impeccable Care of Magical Creatures notes, staggering from the library carrying stacks of books and being a general disaster in her own Common Room practicing every spell, charm and hex she could possibly think of, in case it turned up in any of her practical examinations.

She had also been on top of confiscating dozens of black-market brain stimulants (thanks to a heads up from her mother) all spring, which caused the words 'menace' and 'bint' to also become one of Rose's trademark names in the halls.

It was a small price to pay in order to stop students consuming dried Doxy droppings 'guaranteed to aid in intelligence and focus.'

.

One by one however, the exams raced by; Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and Potions – after a short and exhausting week everyone was almost finished, with only one or two exams left to sit.

Rose was preparing for Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy (she had decided against doing her mother's record number of eleven OWLs, but was stilling sitting more exams than anyone else), whilst Bee, Annie, Corey and Sam sat Divination, and Adam, Jen, Greg and Al (who just wanted an easy OWL) sat for Muggle Studies.

By the end of Rose's Potions practical exam she had given up on cramming and found herself plagued by an impulse to do unnecessary and ridiculous activities completely unrelated to her studies.

"Folks, I have just put every letter I've received this year, in order by date. What is wrong with me?"

Most of her friends weren't paying any attention as they studied in the Slytherin Common Room, but Sam sniggered into _Achievements in Charming_ and Al dropped _The Standard Book of spells, Grade 5_ before exclaiming, "Why would you do that Rose? Why?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking you what's wrong with me!"

.

Sam set down _Achievements in Charming_ carefully on the arm of the couch he was sitting on before responding in a soft slow voice, as if he was talking to a small child, "You are procrastinating. You're occupying your mind with menial and useless tasks to distract yourself from the stress and anxiety resultant of your looming exams."

"Ugh, I feel like I'm going mad!" Rose pulled at her plaits, then took off the ribbons on the ends and started undoing her hair.

"You're procrastinating again Weasley," Sam sang in annoyingly smug voice.

"Oh blast," Rose dropped her hands dejectedly.

.

* * *

.

As they all sat hours later, still studying in the Slytherin Common Room, Corey's voice pierced the silence.

"Oi Anne. Annie. Annie! Annnn-ieeeeeeee-"

"WHAT?!" Ann shrieked at the top of her lungs, leaving Corey white-faced and speechless.

"Well I forget now…" he mumbled awkwardly turning his eyes away from the livid bundle of nerves that used to be Annie.

Adam guffawed at his foolishness as Corey looked back at his star-chart, still nowhere closer to filling it in.

Meanwhile on the other side of the group, Jen began to beat Fred Weasley with a huge tome on magical fungi, "I can't deal with your shit right now Weasley! Bug me again before the end of my OWLs and I'll put you in the hospital wing! Besides, shouldn't you be studying for your NEWTs you smarmy git!?"

But the harder she smacked him, the more he laughed, "Jen, my father is George Weasley, owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? I don't need any NEWTs, there's already a Fred-size position secured at the family co-operative, waiting for me once I graduate."

Jen just through her head back to look at the ceiling and shriek in annoyance.

"Yeah, sitting any exams at all is really just a matter of pride for Fred and James, they have a bet on who's bothered to get the most NEWTS," Molly added from a couch behind them as she half-heartedly studied for her Charms NEWT.

That was the point in which Jen repeatedly screamed jinxes until Fred had antlers growing out of his afro and tentacles sprouting from his arms and legs.

.

Bee ignored all the sudden commotion and started moaning again about her Divination examiner, who she thought had taken a biased dislike to her because she had predicted his wife's imminent contraction of spattergroit in some tea leaves, but Greg simply used this as an opportunity to console her with her favourite Honeydukes sweet, Spindle's Lick'O'Rish Spiders, so that she might check his Muggle Studies revision notes.

It was clear to Sam that even though they were in the last stretch of exams, the stress was getting to everybody, so he suggested a quick break to lift spirits.

"Hey guys, anyone up for a walk outside? I need a break, and you all probably need one too considering how hard we've all been working."

.

Rose eagerly jumped at the chance to stop re-reading the same Arithmancy question she had been staring at for the past half an hour, "Yes, I'd love to. Let's all go walk down by the lake guys, I am in desperate need of some sunshine."

A series of adamant 'no's from every one of her friends in the Slytherin Common Room (it was cooler and quieter to study in), meant it the walk was turning out to be just Sam and herself.

They had been on good terms since James' birthday party, but Rose could still feel a certain shiver of nerves strike her every now and then when they were alone together.

She pushed it aside, "All right Malfoy, looks like it's just you and me," and they walked out of the dungeons together.

.

* * *

.

Rose seated herself beneath the large beech tree near the edge of the Black Lake, leaving Sam standing awkwardly, contemplating how much of a gap to leave between them.

For some reason Rose felt slightly nervous, although it was a completely different kind of nervous to how she felt before an OWL exam.

She tried to keep the mood playful, "Oh just sit down Malfoy, or have exams frazzled your brain so much you no longer have command over your limbs?"

"Shut up Weasley," but he quickly followed her orders, deciding a foot-long gap would solve things.

.

They had thoroughly exhausted talk of OWLs and most of their shared exams on the walk from the dungeons and now they sat in silence soaking up the spring sunshine.

After another minute, Rose muttered a quick spell and transfigured a nearby stick into a guitar.

As she placed her fingers on the fretboard and strummed, but both she and Sam groaned as the strings twanged discordantly.

They laughed, and Rose set about tuning the guitar with a spell Hugo had taught her that caused the sound of a low E to be emitted from her wand.

Once she had tuned, she strummed the few simple chords that she knew and hummed a little.

"Sing me something, Weasley."

"No way," Rose replied instantly.

Who was he to demand serenading? What was he daft?

"Pleeeeaaaaasssse."

"No."

Sam smiled slyly, "Is that your final answer Rose?"

She nodded, jutting out her chin in defiance.

.

Then, before she could say Merlin's pants, Sam had whipped the guitar out of her arms and run away with it.

Her mouth dropped in shock for a moment, then she was up in a flash, chasing him around the lake.

She dodged a group of fourth year Ravenclaws, jumped over a circle of Gobstones players and managed to grab the neck of the guitar in the midst of a band of first years (Why did sunshine have to attract people out into the grounds? They were getting in her way, damn them!).

"Let – go – Malfoy!"

Rose grunted as she pulled at the guitar.

.

"Okay," and Malfoy grinned in delight as he abruptly let go of the guitar's body and happily watched the guitar shoot backwards, hitting a first year in the face and causing Rose to lose her balance.

An "Ooof," escaped her as she landed on the ground in shock, and she pressed her lips together suppressing a grin before taking off back towards the beech tree.

Sam followed, laughing so hard his stomach started to hurt and his chest burned as he gasped for breath.

Rose collapsed on the ground underneath the tree, belly shaking, laughing so hard no sound emerged from her open mouth.

She tried to talk, but the look on the first year's face was so hysterical that she couldn't get any words out, and tears began to stream down her face.

When either one of them would stop, mere eye contact would set them off again, and when they finally both managed to cease laughing, as soon as Rose attempted speech they both burst out again.

.

Eventually Sam flopped down on the ground next to her, and they lay shoulder to shoulder underneath the tree, looking up at the branches, the guitar thrown down and forgotten.

Rose heard a rustle next to her ear and she knew Sam had turned his head to look at her.

He didn't move again, and when she couldn't stand his staring any longer she turned her head too.

Rose was instantly shocked at the sadness and disappointment painted on his features.

"What's wrong Sam?"

Sam sighed wearily and turned his face back up towards the sky.

.

"What's wrong, is that you make it so hard Rose."

She sat up, confused, "Make what so hard?"

It seemed to take Sam hours to form his answer, "You make it so hard to talk to you, and tease you, and laugh with you, and write to you late at night in those stupid books – and then think of you only as a friend! Because every time I express my romantic feelings, you get angry and bolt like a racing broom. And I don't know what to do, because I really like you. Not as a friend, not as a schoolmate and not as my best friend's cousin. I, I, I fancy you!"

Sam seemed as shocked as Rose was, that he'd finally managed to get his feelings out.

He sat up, as if to leave, but then thought that if he'd gone this far, he may as well spit it all out.

Sam turned back, looking at Rose as though her eyes might tell him why everything about them always had to be so bitter-sweet.

.

"You give me these crazy feelings, like I'm going barmy or something! I don't know what they mean, or even what they are, but I know that it should be amazing and exciting. Why do you always try to make it seem like fancying each other is so terrible? Am I supposed to just feel guilty and miserable, and awful for feeling something?"

He laughed bitterly at himself, "And now I've gone and said way too much about my feelings…"

Rose gave a little laugh, and Sam managed a weak smile before continuing.

.

"I haven't even tried to forget about you, you know that?"

He shook his head as though he had never heard of anything so foolish in his life.

"After the Polyjuice Party, I should have sworn off you. But… it's like you've gone and planted a rose right in the middle of my brain and everywhere I look, you're there, at the very front of everything I see. Before my physical vision even gets a chance to tell my brain what I'm actually seeing, you're there."

Sam sighed again, and he wrapped his arms around his knees, trying to keep himself together and keep the lump in his throat down.

"I know it's useless, but I don't know what to do. All I know is it hurts Rose. Ever since James' birthday party, we've kind of gotten back to normal. We talk all the time, we write messages to each other, we study together, we joke together."

Rose smiled, she had really enjoyed getting back to normal with Sam recently, but her lips lost their joy when it became clear he didn't feel the same at all.

"I can feel myself thinking about what it would be like to… to be together, properly."

Sam paused and blushed even pinker, looking away from Rose to the roots of the tree intensely.

"And I know it's hurting me, but I don't want to stop. Because when you're right here in front of me, everything else disappears. But this is torture, and I can't to do it anymore. I'm sorry, but I think I need some space… I can't be around you this much, because I want more. I want more than this, and it hurts too much to ignore."

Sam stood up and walked back to the castle, leaving Rose sitting by the lake, wishing she had never asked Sam what was wrong in the first place…


	22. Burn

_Meet me in the Come and Go Room tonight, straight after dinner._

 _A place you can be safe from being heard. A place where you can talk to Rose Weasley._

 _Don't be late._

 _ **I'll be there. Bring this book. Your one.**_

 _Why?_

 _ **Please.**_

 _Okay._

 _._

* * *

.

As Rose waited for him to arrive she paced the length of the Room of Requirement, which had taken the form of a small circular room with one couch and a crackling fireplace, trying to calm the rage she could consciously feel bubbling up inside of her.

So Sam thought he could just vomit up all this insane information and leave her without any say, did he?

He thought that just because-

.

Her inner rant was cut short by the sound of the door creaking open tentatively, and Rose whipped around to see Sam standing cautiously in the doorway.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Well come in then."

He walked forwards and shut the door behind him.

It clicked shut with a strange finality, and Sam could tell that everything would be different once they left this room tonight.

Something had been building and building for months, even years, between them and it seemed it was finally going to explode.

.

"I wanted to talk about what you said earlier today."

Sam could see Rose trying to keep a lid on her anger, her jaw tightened and she spoke through clenched teeth.

"You left today before I got a chance to speak my mind Malfoy, and I really don't appreciate that. You had your say, and now I need mine, so just shut up and listen, all right?"

"Okay," Sam said calmly as he took a seat on the couch.

Rose continued to pace.

.

"You said about one hundred things that fucking bothered me, but there's one thing that's been niggling at me all day. I haven't stopped thinking about it, because it's so utterly ridiculous that I need you to understand just how unbelievably narcissistic you were when you said, 'I want more.'

You want more from me? _You_ want more from _me_!? As if it's my fault because I haven't given you enough! I'm not Gringotts, just handing out my time, energy and resources to whoever decides they want it. Who are you to desire or expect 'more' in the first place?"

.

Rose started to raise her voice, mocking him with bitterly sarcasm, "If I wanted to be 'with you', we would be together already. But I said no. I have said no every single time anything between us has ever come up and it is not my fault you have been ignoring me. Do you want to hold hands? Is that it? To cuddle? To _shag_? Well guess what, _you are barking up the wrong fucking tree!_ "

She yelled so loudly it echoed off the stone walls of the room, and the silence that followed was heavy and thick.

Sam had shut off his face, it was blank and calm, hiding his emotions and refusing to give away any of his reactions.

He just looked silently at Rose, waiting for her to continue.

.

"I reject the notion that I need to be validated by a boy. My worth as a human being is not determined by my relationship status or my sexual desirability, and most importantly: _I don't want a boyfriend_."

Rose's face was steadily gaining colour and was currently a bright shade of red.

"It's not specific to you. I don't want anybody to be my boyfriend. I'd turn down any person who asked. I'm just not ready, I have so much more I need to do before I can even think about this, I'm just not interested. I am sorry that you are the collateral damage in my need to be alone and figure out who I am and my life, you have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you."

.

Rose took a breath, and looked directly at Sam for the first time.

He looked completely comfortable, calmly watching her, not saying a word or moving a muscle.

She could tell his body had switched onto auto-pilot, his facial expression and posture said as much.

'Merlin, why does he have to be so good at hiding his emotions? The git.'

The thought fuelled Rose onwards and she allowed her anger to fill her once again.

"You don't get to blame me for not wanting to be with you in that way, you don't get to act like just because we hooked up at that _stupid_ Polyjuice Party, that I owe you something - I don't."

.

The venom and ferocity in her voice was the first thing to really hurt Sam, but he took comfort in knowing she could not tell that she had struck a nerve.

When Rose could see that nothing she was saying was making the slightest difference, she got even more furious; How dare he ignore her! How dare he just sit there, not batting an eyelid!

She charged on, "I mean, surely it's gotten through to you that I don't want to be with you? Why are you so blind? Why do you think it's okay for you to fantasise about us, and then go about demanding things from me? Why do want-"

.

"Because I'm in love with you."

Sam had said it so quietly, Rose almost didn't hear it.

She whirled around lost for words and breathless, finally ceasing to pace as her face paled quickly from its bright pink.

Rose blanched under Sam's gaze and he was now standing and staring at her, the intensity in his eyes giving Rose the first glimpse of emotion on his face that night.

" _What?_ " She finally managed to choke out.

He spoke again, slowly and surely, his voice never wavering once.

"It's because I'm in love with you, and I think that you love me too."

Her heart jolted viciously, as though it was trying to leap right out of her chest, but she ignored it and laughed scornfully.

"You don't know how I fucking feel! Stop assuming I - in love?"

For once Rose's train of thought was punctured by how fast her heart was beating

.

Sam didn't take the bait to get emotionally drawn in, and remained cool and collected, "Yes Rose, in love. And if you could get out of your emotional comfort zone for five seconds you might just be able to taste the honesty and freedom I have, in letting myself feel it."

Rose scoffed, "Oh don't be ludicrous."

"You only say that because you are afraid-"

Rose let out another derisive laugh, "Listen to yourself Sam! You sound _ridiculous_! Even more stupid than before. You've been reading too many fluffy romance novels. Are you _hearing_ yourself Sam? For Merlin's sake, you're fucking fifteen years old and you've got a stupid crush,, so don't get swept away in namby-pamby bullshit."

A flash of anger escaped Sam's mask, but only for a second, before he repressed it beneath his calm face once more.

"Fine, push me away but don't you come back trying to be best friends anymore, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you feel what I feel or you don't, stop trying to have it both ways."

.

Rose stared Sam down threateningly, "I do not try to have it both ways-"

"Oh come off it, yes you do. You want us to be all flirty and close, you want to snog me when it suits you but you don't want to actually put in the effort to care about my emotional well-being. I am in love with you and all you can do is sit there and lecture me? Where's your fucking heart?

Rose let out a scream of frustration, "Love isn't about electricity and butterflies Sam. It's not about 'sparks' or 'fireworks,' or swooning when you kiss. That's lust and chemistry and it doesn't get you anywhere. Love is something you have to work for!"

Rose's voice was getting louder again, "It's not about _saying_ you love someone, those are just words. You have to show your love through _actions_ , through the way you live your life, in every single thing you do. You have to do whatever it takes; compromise, communication, _SACRIFICE_. You have to give up everything and anything for that person. You have to be willing to die for them."

.

Rose stopped in her tracks and turned to face Sam, her voice dangerous as she advanced on him, like a predator advancing upon its prey.

" _That_ is love. _That's_ how Lily Potter saved her son from Lord Voldemort's Killing Curse, _that_ is that blood magic that protected Uncle Harry, from Quirrinus Quirrel, from Voldemort, from the Death Eaters, _that_ is how Harry went on to destroy the darkest wizard of all time."

Suddenly, Sam found Rose had walked so close to him in rage, he could feel the heat radiating from her, her robes had been flung aside before he came in, and her anger emitted a fire from her skin.

She grabbed a fistful of his shirt angrily, " _That_ kind of love isn't something you know anything about, so stop acting like you do."

.

Her voice cracked as she shouted and shook him harshly, her hand still holding a fistful of his shirt as her wand whipped out from nowhere to press into the tender skin of Sam's neck.

He stayed immobile, knowing that if he moved even an inch she would curse him without remorse, and he would not be able to stop her.

Sam looked deep into Rose's blue eyes and saw the layers and layers of anger, then he whispered carefully.

"I have loved you for so long and so hard, you've just gotten used to it. You know it's true."

He saw them widen and fear rise through the anger, "I have always just wanted to be close to you, to make you happy, to make you laugh. You can feel it in me."

.

And she could.

Nothing was simpler than knowing that the way Sam looked at her, and the way he teased her, the way he always looked out for her… felt like love.

She breathed in sharply as the realisation stuck her, but as she let out a shaky breath, a cruelty rose up in her.

She didn't want this, it wasn't fair!

And if he insisted upon ruining their friendship, then he'd have to pay the price.

She let go of his shirt and stepped away to seat herself at the end of the couch.

Sam cautiously sat down on the opposite side, why had she just let go of his shirt without one spell?

There was something sinister behind her peaceful actions, he could tell.

.

The thin punishing smile playing upon Rose's lips were a precursor to the way she began to toy with him.

In a voice devoid of anger, Rose began to ask him seething rhetorical questions.

"And why do you think you love me Sam? Hmmmm? Let's have a good hard think shall we?"

Her tone was laced with sarcasm and fake sincerity, "Well there's the whole Weasley-Malfoy feud. Warring families, pure-blood supremacy, tragic forbidden love!"

She gasped as though discovering this for the first time, "And everybody knows teenagers always want what they can't have."

.

 _Don't get_ too _friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood._

She adopted an even more patronising baby tone, "Oh no! What if you're just suffingering from a bit of Forbidden Fruit Complex? Could it be that we just want what our parents said we can't have?"

Rose dropped her fake voice, "These 'feelings' aren't even fucking real Malfoy, it's simple psychology."

Sam forced himself to keep his voice down, containing all of his emotions savagely, he would not give her the satisfaction.

"Fine Rose. Rationlise it all away. Just like you do with everything else in your life. I guess over-rationalising is the only solution to explain away your emotions because you're too much of a coward to admit how you feel."

Sam shrugged his shoulders, as if it was no business of his, playing indifference as he threw every fact he had at her, to change her mind.

"Explain away how I scared the crap out of you when we first kissed because of the way it made you feel. Explain away the fact that when neither of us knew who the other was, we _both_ admitted to being more ourselves than we ever could have been in our own bodies. Explain away why you're so angry right now. You don't have to admit any of your feelings, I don't care anymore."

.

Rose huffed in disbelief, " _I_ have to admit my feelings? Me? _You're_ the one who wears a fucking mask of Malfoy arrogance whenever you feel anything unbecoming so that no one can get to you! In fact, you're wearing it right now! Don't think I haven't noticed it's been on since you walked in the room."

Rose was sick of his hypocrisy and his lack of emotion, it was hard work being angry at someone as animated as a wall, but at least she knew he was just hiding his feelings and that she actually was hitting a few marks.

"If you knew what it was like to have people judge you for your parent's mistakes before they even looked at you, then you would know how much I need that-"

.

"I _DO_ KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE! People haven't stopped boxing me into my parents' shadows since I got to Hogwarts. _Every_ teacher, _every_ student. Are you thinking of going into the Auror program with your father Rose? Or are you thinking of taking on the reformation of Magical Law? A career as a lawyer with your mother's support would be perfect for you! Surely the Wizengamot would be one of your aims? What about politics? The Ministry is working very closely with your family, leading the way to a new Wizarding World, wouldn't you like to join in revolutionising our government?"

Sam didn't let his surprise surface onto his face, but he was genuinely shocked.

Since their OWLs had come around, Rose had never mentioned anything about people asking her about the future.

All her friends knew she wanted to be a Healer.

.

'Why didn't she say anything to us?' Sam wondered silently.

But Rose hadn't run out of steam yet, as evident by the scream of frustration she let out before throwing one of the couch's cushions into the fire that was burning in the fireplace.

"I'M SICK OF IT!"

She only got more agitated when the cushion began letting of a thick nasty-smelling smoke, so she quickly put out the fire with a few jets of water from her wand.

.

"I don't care anymore Malfoy! I don't need you to understand me. I just want you to know that it is so selfish of you to ask 'more' of me. I don't have anything else to give, so just get over yourself. I mean, we're related, we're bloddy cousins-"

Sam rolled his eyes and groaned, "I knew you'd bring that up! You're just looking for as many excuses as you can find, aren't you Rose?

'I don't want a boyfriend because we're just teenagers who don't know what real love is, we have a Forbidden Fruit complex, we're cousins, blah blah blah' – Merlin Rose! Are you seriously saying we can't be together because my great-great-great grandfather and your great-great grandfather were brothers one-hundred and thirty-three years ago?"

.

Sam slumped, as though physically exhausted, against the couch's arm rest, leaning his head against it and extending his legs.

He looked up at the ceiling and covered his face with his hands wearily, "You have to go back six generations to find our common ancestor Rose, we're bloody fourth cousins once removed, stop being a bint."

It seemed Rose had finally spent all her excuses, and she could do nothing but stare at the still slightly-smoking cushion.

Suddenly the absurdity of the entire situation dawned on Rose and she started to giggle.

'She's finally lost it,' Sam thought, 'She's gone mad.'

.

"This - is - so - ridiculous" She managed to get out between giggles.

"I'm here trying to convince you we're not good together, you're trying to do the opposite, I've thrown a cushion into the fire and now? Now the room smells funky because of the burnt fabric."

Sam snorted, his hands slipping from his face and his head flicking up to look at Rose.

Everything was rather bizarre wasn't it?

When Rose's giggles had subsided, she asked the first thing that popped into her head.

.

"So how do you know all the specifics of our family tree anyway Jack?"

Sam's heart warmed at her use of the nickname.

But he blushed once he had registered her question.

His cheeks grew steadily pinker as he realised he would have to tell her.

"Well… I looked it up. I worked it all out because I remember hearing at the Burrow one time that the Malfoys and Weasleys were kind of related and I wanted to make sure that…"

.

He petered of awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You wanted to make sure it wasn't gross," Rose finished for him, and they both laughed quietly.

Sam got up off the couch and turned away from her, staring into the fireplace and after a minute of silence, he spoke again.

"It's not gross by the way. Pure-blooded families usually marry _way_ closer than fourth cousins once removed. We're barely related at all. I mean, we're no more genetically similar than two complete strangers. Most people don't even know who their fourth cousins once removed are, so there's nothing incestuous about it."

.

Rose was overcome by the urge to see his face again rather than his back, and she walked over to him her eyebrows raised.

"Don't you think it would be weird that our kids would be your children _and_ your fifth cousins?" She replied teasingly.

Sam turned to her laughing, "Kids? Last I checked you would rather rant at me for an hour than be my girlfriend."

They both burst into laughter, and after their giggles subsided Rose smiled up at him, the intensity of his gaze reminding just how close together they were standing.

.

The smile slipped off her face and she knew she should back away, but Sam seemed to be searching her face for something so important her legs refused to move an inch.

Slowly Sam's hands came up to her face, one gently holding her cheek and the other supporting her neck.

Rose couldn't breathe and her whole body seemed to be exploding with the now familiar shiver.

Her stomach shivered as his face moved slowly down to hers, giving her time to back away.

Her cheek shivered as his thumb stroked softly across it.

Her lips shivered when his mouth tenderly made contact.

.

He had never kissed her this lightly, their lips barely touching.

She knew he was holding back, banking on her to pull away, to reject him.

But Rose always did enjoy doing the opposite of what was expected of her.

She opened her mouth, darting her tongue into his mouth cheekily, as her arms wrapped around him.

Suddenly the chaste kiss Sam had offered had become a playful game of gripping, tasting, pushing, pulling.

.

Then it slowed and intensified, and before Rose knew it there were tears on her cheeks as their kiss expressed what a passionate, desperate, pain-filled mess they were in.

Sam could no longer repress any of his emotions and everything he had been holding back behind his mask flooded out through his mouth, hands, body.

Rose bit down hard on his lower lip and he gasped, fingers gripping onto Rose's hip and hair.

The firm reality of his grip brought her back to the present and she stepped back, blinking away more tears.

.

"I'm sorry," she whispered shaking her head.

Sam knew what that, tiny 'I'm sorry' meant.

It didn't mean she was sorry she kissed him – in fact she was damn glad she had.

It meant she was sorry she couldn't be what he wanted, and that was a thousand times worse.

"I can't Sam, I just can't."

.

His pain was worse than anything he could have ever imagined.

The finality in her voice almost sent him over the edge, but he squashed the hurt that was welling up inside of him and tried to ignore the heavy pain weighing down his chest.

"Okay," he whispered, just managing to get it out over his seemingly swollen throat, although his face looked as stony and blank as ever.

"Okay?" Rose asked, confused.

.

She had expected something more from him, more arguing, more anger, she didn't know exactly what, but a simple 'okay' was not it.

"Okay."

He whispered again.

He closed his eyes to stop tears from escaping, but to Rose he looked peaceful.

"I'm sorr-" Rose tried to apologise, but Sam quickly cut her off.

.

"Stop."

Her hand reached out to grab his but as soon as he felt her fingers he whipped his hand away and his eyes snapped open, "Don't. It will only make things harder."

Finally, Rose saw the anguish in his eyes, the pain in his voice, and she knew.

She had broken him and now nothing would ever be the same again.

From now on; every time he looked at her, it would feel like she had stabbed a knife into his chest, twisting and twisting.

.

"I need some space," Sam repeated calmly, his mask firmly back in place.

"Don't try to talk to me. Don't try to fix things between us. Just leave me alone. I need time away from you, until it stops hurting."

Sam turned and pulled out the cushion from the fireplace.

"Incendio."

The fire started up and again.

Sam walked slowly back over to Rose and held out his hand.

"Did you bring it?"

Confused for a moment, Rose didn't know what he meant.

"The book."

"Oh," Rose pulled the book from a pocket in her robes.

Walking over to the fire, Sam pulled out his own as well.

.

The books had clearly once been identical.

Dark exterior, cream parchment, now filled; the Protean Charm infused pages and pages and pages of writing between the two of them, bound within those brown covers.

.

His book looked very different to the last time she'd seen it, when she sent it to him in third year.

The spine was creased, the corners dog-eared.

Hers was much tidier and less worn, the leather string wrapping up the book still attached to the spine, unlike Sam's.

Without any hesitation Sam tossed both books into the fire, and watched as they caught alight.

Rose felt all the air in her lungs leave her body, it took all she had to stop herself from gasping aloud in horror.

.

 _He was burning them._

All the boring, everyday conversations.

All their secrets and intimate messages.

Every written exchange between the two of them.

Gone.

.

As she watched the books burn, the pain eventually faded and was replaced by a strange numbness within her.

Once Sam was satisfied that the books were sufficiently destroyed, he turned and strode purposefully out of the Room of Requirement, gently closing the door without looking back.

Rose immediately rushed to put out the fire, but all that was left in the grate was ash.

She could barely understand herself after everything that had happened, particularly the empty gnawing feeling that had settled into the depths of her bones.

"I got what I wanted, didn't I?" She asked the cold, silent, burnt-cushion-and-book-smelling room.

But the room could not explain to her why she felt such a sense of desolation, that if she had been able to identify, she would have recognised as the tinges of regret.


	23. Girl Talk

Between studying (procrastinating) and sitting the rest of her OWLs, Rose forced herself not to think about Sam Malfoy – so much so, that she almost didn't realise Sam wasn't around.

But once summer came, it became cringingly obvious that he was avoiding her.

Whenever she went over to the Potters to hang out with Al, he was never there.

During group outings or get-togethers with the whole Slytherin-Gryffindor gang he made sure he was as far away from Rose as possible, and he didn't speak a word to her.

.

Only Adam was tactless enough to ask Sam about it when Rose was present (to which he received a stony glare from Sam and high pitched denials from Rose), but they were both questioned separately about why they were acting so cold towards each other (both refusing to divulge what had happened).

When Rose returned to Hogwarts for her sixth year, it was only to find that if Sam ever did talk to her, it was to say something snide or spiteful and Rose felt as though for the first time, he really did hate her.

It wasn't a playful kind of hate or a you're so annoying but deep down we love each other kind of hate.

It was an irritation and impatience with everything about her: her personality, her habits, her presence.

Rose thought he might fancy himself heart-broken… the twit. Which was still definitely not a reason to be treating her so poorly.

.

And to top it all off, sixth year brought along Sam's first girlfriend.

Previously, Sam had really only ever had eyes for Rose, but since coming back to school his fellow beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team Isobel Gudgeon, with her long sweeping black hair, had become a permanent addition to the group.

Now it wasn't that Isobel was a bad person, she just wasn't stupid.

Isobel knew something wasn't right between Sam and Rose, and that meant there had probably been something more than friendship between them.

And what did that make Rose?

Public enemy number one.

Isobel didn't know the story behind Sam and Rose's falling out (not for lack of trying), but she did know they had been close, so she had decided it was in her best interests to keep Rose as far away from Sam as possible.

.

This involved rushing Sam off when Rose was around, snogging profusely if this wasn't possible and keeping a handful of insults in her back pocket for whenever Rose attempted to talk to either of them whilst said snogging was underway.

One night at dinner, upon asking Isobel if she was planning to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas Rose was rebuffed with, "Why don't you go stick your nose in some dusty old book instead of where it's not wanted."

Of course Jen immediately jumped to Rose's defence and Corey, who was sitting closest to Sam, nudged Sam much more roughly than he needed to, to break apart the previously-snogging couple (Isobel nearly fell off her seat).

.

No one in the group really liked Isobel, because she never really settled into the group or relaxed, and she always seemed to turn into a fire-breathing dragon as soon as Rose was within a ten metre radius – insecurity will do that to a person.

Plus she called Sam, Scorpius, which was decidedly weird.

But Rose could handle a few harsh words, the snogging and the silent treatment.

What really cut her, was how much she missed Sam.

He had been right, she had wanted to have her cake and eat it too - she wanted the friendship and the intimacy but not the commitment or to take any feeling seriously.

Now that Sam had set his sights elsewhere, it became obvious that deep down, she was a little jealous.

.

It made Rose want to reinvent herself, change things up so she didn't feel so stagnant.

Fred had been working with James and George at the family co-operative, Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes, managing the Hogsmeade branch and developing new products in the WonderWitch line - he was particularly focused on inventing products for a range of different hair textures and styles when he'd realised there were barely any products for people with afros, braids, dreads and frizzy curls.

Rose, whose hair was usually so unmanageable it was always braided in two plaits, finally had a cheap alternative spell that would actually work on her hair.

She would do anything rather than visit the beauty parlour in Diagon Alley where the stylist always plastered her hair in Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (despite the warning label for redheads, it always caused patchy discolouration!).

During the last Hogsmeade trip of first term, Rose went straight of to WWW's, where Fred had out several different boxes of the cosmetic spell he'd developed, which magically cut the hair styles displayed on the boxes once opened.

It was yet to hit the shelves but Rose begged Fred for a free trial, which he happily gave with a sly grin, having experimented with the product on Roxanne, Angelina's braids (without their knowledge while sleeping, suffice to say hexes had been thrown) and his own afro many times while making them.

That day, Rose left the store with a bob of smooth ringlets – the shortest her hair had been since she was six years old and also the first time since then, that her hair was too short to put into braids.

.

* * *

.

Rose breezed through first term without doing any homework (something that shocked both her friends and professors) then spent Christmas break at Annie's house in St Martin's Parish, Guernsey, which was a beautiful and rather isolated island off the coast of England.

It was here at a sleepover two days before school started up again that Rose finally opened up to her friends and told Jen, Bee and Annie the truth about the Polyjuice Party and what had happened between her and Sam during OWLs.

"No. Freaking. Way," Jen slowly stated, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Bee muttered a quick, "Oh sweetie," before pulling Rose in for a hug.

.

Annie couldn't say anything at all for a while, she seemed to be connecting all of Rose and Sam's weird behaviour over the last year to this new information and wasn't quite ready to communicate anything while she did.

After a good long minute of silence from her, Annie finally found her voice, "You waited over six months to tell us? Oh Rose you silly girl."

Annie then added her arms to the mix, and it wasn't long before a full-on group hug had been initiated.

All of them were, of course, loyal sympathetic ears that insisted Rose should have gotten this off her chest a long time ago, then they all proceeded to call Sam a variety of dirty names.

.

After they had had a good vent about everything they didn't like about Sam, they talked for hours more, deep into the night.

Jen fretted over what on earth she was going to do with her life once the security of Hogwarts was at its end ("I have just under two years to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life! My parents expect me to make something of myself, and all this pressure is just making it harder and harder to decide…")

They discussed politics – Hermione was still working to reform legislation that discriminated against other magical beings, and was even discussing a bid for Minister for Magic.

Bee admitted that she often contemplated about going back into the muggle world and leaving magic behind her - her whole family just didn't understand her life.

Then she thought about casting as many spells as she could to stop the poverty, sickness and war caused by muggles.

.

"That used to be my world, my only home, and it's filled with such useless suffering, and I know that I could stop it-"

"Bee you can't. You can't interfere with muggle affairs so drastically! It would be a total violation of the Statute of Secrecy, not to mention how unethical it is. You can't just make things disappear with a flick of your wand, do you know what kind of turmoil that could cause in the muggle world? Messing with things that big will have serious repercussions."

"But Rose, if you only knew what it was like-"

Rose cut her off again, "It doesn't matter. My Mum had the same thought years ago, but the more she researched it, the more she found that interfering in muggle affairs with magic has only ever caused serious damage throughout history. Mount Vesuvius destroying Pompeii? That was the result of a witch who tried to sustain the city's water supply through magic."

"She's right Bee," Jen agreed. "My parents told me that one of the most important lessons in Latian History of Magic is about the worst wizarding catastrophe in South-East Asia - Pol Pot's dictatorship in Cambodia in the 1970s. It was caused by a group of wizards who used magic to fix the agricultural system of the country. Pot thought his policies was the reason for the change, but once the wizards had to go into hiding - you've got to remember how outnumbered witches and wizards are - nearly three million muggles died under that regime."

Rose eventually shared with everyone about her dream job, being a Healer for children at St Mungo's, and Jen fretted some more because she still didn't know what she was going to do.

.

And what would a sleepover between the Gryffindor girls be, without many a round of 'Snog, Hex, Marry'? – some traditions never get old.

"Okay. Johnny Astor; top of the year behind Rose and shoo in for Head Boy next year, Mona Purkiss; owner of Gladrags Wizardwear and the one and only, Fred Weasley; dashing smile, flawless brown skin but with the mind of an evil genius."

As Rose ginned evilly, Jen propped her chin in her hand in contemplation.

"Well Mona is such a lovely woman, she'd be my celebrity crush if I had to pick someone. But since I'm not a fan of marrying strangers, I would snog her quicker than you could say Gladrags. Johnny Astor is the most pretentious douche I've ever met – intelligence does not justify an ego that huge, so he gets hex, and I guess that leaves me married to Fred. It wouldn't be so bad; constant entertainment, a slice of the pie at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and George as a father-in-law? I could do worse."

.

A chorus of 'oooohs' erupted and Jen was mercilessly teased for the rest of the week – the fact that she blushed so much and didn't deny anything only encouraged them and the one time she attempted to defend herself she ended up blurting out, "What? He's fit!"

Way to help your case Jen.


	24. Getting All Futuristic

It was three weeks in to their second semester of 6th year, and the whole Slythindor gang was sitting on their favourite cluster of couches in the Gryffindor Common Room talking their Friday night away.

"So take me through this whole 'Muslim' thing again Bee… I mean I understand that Easter in the Wizarding World is just some pagan-Christian-muggle-appropriation and really we just want an excuse for a holiday - is that what Muslim is like?" Adam asked, looking totally bewildered.

"Merlin Adam, you'd think that after getting an OWL in Muggle Studies you'd understand that there is more than just one kind of muggle religion! You didn't honestly think the one we stole Easter and Christmas from, was the only religion in Britain, did you?" Jen exclaimed.

"Secondly, the person who practices is a Muslim, the name of the religion is Islam," Bee added, scoffing slightly at Adam's bewilderment.

.

"Look," Adam replied laughing with a twinkle in his dark brown eyes, "I got that OWL by pure luck and the grace of Merlin – there's a few muggle-borns somewhere back in my Zambian family tree I think... but growing up I had no real exposure to muggles."

Slapping her forehead with her palm Jen groaned.

"You should come over to my house and check out our garage, Mum and Granddad Weasley have hoards of muggle stuff in there," Rose offered.

Bee waved her hands to silence everyone, "All right, all right, let me try to explain one more time. My parents are from Bangladesh, and even though I was born in Britain, I still grew up a Muslim: in religious and cultural terms. Of course once I found out I was a witch, religion didn't really seem like a feasible part of my life anymore – but for eleven years I practiced Islam, which is a 'religion,' a set of spiritual beliefs. Do you get it Adam?"

"Okay but what are spiritual beliefs, are you saying muggles believe in stuff that they just made up and isn't proveable?"

"Yeah, let's not get into it," Bee replied woefully.

.

Adam then turned to Rose, "Are your muggle grandparents Islams?"

"It's Muslims Adam," Annie chuckled.

Rose answered his question, "No, my grandparents don't have a religion-"

"So only some muggles have strange 'spiritual beliefs' and others just don't?"

And it was just as Jen pulled out her wand and started trying to charm Adam's afro straight when Al suddenly blurted out, "I want to play Quidditch!"

Confused, Rose responded, "Right now? It's kind of late Al."

Ever since the beginning of second term, Al had been spending much more time with Rose than Sam, which felt strange, like only using one arm to do everything instead of two.

He hung out in the Gryffindor Common Room just as much as usual, but Sam never seemed to come by anymore, what with Isobel keeping Sam (and his face) quite busy.

Isobel's adamant refusal to set foot in Gryffindor Tower might have something to do with it too.

Now that everyone was finally together, and Sam and Rose were both there, Al's thoughts for the future, which had been brewing for a while, but which he hadn't really told anyone about yet, made their debut in a flurry of extremely fast-spoken disconnected sentences.

.

"Professionally. I want to play Quidditch for a living. Do you guys think I'd have any chance of playing Quidditch for a living? Because I want to play Quidditch. Like a lot. What do you think? It's stupid right?"

Al quickly tried to backtrack, speaking even more quickly, but before he could go too far everyone responded with positive encouragement.

Sam grinned, "Of course you have a chance, mate! You're the best seeker at Hogwarts. The Slytherin team hate playing you."

"Yeah," Corey chimed in, "You're a great player, it won't be long before we're all watching you at the World Cup in the Top Box seats you'll have rustled up for all your best mates."

Jen snorted loudly, "Corey stop being such a Slytherin. This isn't about future Top Box seats, we're just happy you've got some direction Al."

She added more darkly, "Some of us aren't so lucky."

Corey replied smugly, "Oh, does someone want us to throw a Pity Party for them? I mean, if you did I would absolutely be the best party planner out of everyone here, I've got the charm, I've got the connections-"

Which was when Jen started levitating pillows from the couches and aiming them directly at Corey's head.

"You know Jen, sometimes it feels like all you do in this group is attack us," Greg complained, at which point the pillows started being directed at him and started everyone laughing raucously as he ducked and dodged away from them.

.

As the fire died down and their conversation began to slow, one by one, the group headed off to bed.

Sam got up to go back down to the Slytherin Common Room, but not before he sat next to Al and gave him a huge hug.

"I'm so proud of you Al, look at you figuring out your life and stuff. I can't wait to come watch your games with Puddlemore."

Al laughed and tried (and failed) to push Sam off him, "Hey, you don't know if I'll get drafted for Puddlemere."

Sam got off the couch and called as he wandered out the portrait hole, "They'd be crazy to pass you up!"

Finally everyone had left the common room until it was just Al and Rose chatting together.

Brimming with the confidence from finally sharing his dreams with his friends, and taking advantage of having Rose completely to himself, Al decided to bring up a few things that had been bothering him for the last few months.

"Can I ask you about some stuff Rose?"

Rose furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Okaaay," she replied slowly, "What's up?"

"Sam told me."

Rose's stomach dropped, but she tried to remain calm, not even bothering to play dumb or deny anything.

"What did he say?"

Hypothetical scenarios of all the horrible reactions Al could possibly have, started running through her mind.

Her hands started prickling with sweat and the fire suddenly seemed much too warm as horrifying images of Al telling her parents, and everyone in the family disowning her flashed through her mind.

.

Al looked at her concernedly, "That you kissed after the Polyjuice Party. That he told you he was in love with you. That you didn't feel the same way. That he-" Al stopped abruptly.

But Rose could finish the sentence for him, "Hates me. I guessed as much."

Even though Rose already knew this, she felt like she'd been winded.

Al's mouth twisted uncomfortably, he could see that his slip up had hurt her.

"I just want you to know that I'm not going to pick sides with you two, you're both my best friends and it's no one's fault - sometimes feelings just happen and you can't change that. I just hope you're okay, you know. I wouldn't even bring it up Rose, but… You cut all your hair off, and you never do your homework anymore... which is totally fine, I know you'll catch up in time to get an O in every subject. I just want to know that you're okay."

Rose felt a great rush of love for her cousin, he never judged her or criticised her, and he cared enough to check in on her and let her know that he cared.

.

She smiled gently, "I'm fine Al, great actually."

Rose looked around the room and took a calming breath, "I just felt like this was the year. My year. Do you know what I mean? The year to find out who I am, I mean who I really am. Not just another year where I stay on autopilot and accept that as me. I felt like experimenting – with short hair, with not doing homework, with being more honest; I just told the girls about Sam and me last week, and I was planning to tell you this weekend."

Rose giggled and rolled her eyes, "And you know me too well. I totally have a catch-up regime planned for next term to make up for slacking off. I aim to keep my O average this year."

Al grinned, "Good. I'm glad."

.

"Speaking of straight O averages, now that you've decided to play Quidditch you don't have to worry about your NEWT grades! I'm ridiculously jealous."

"Well I think it's a matter of sibling rivalry that I attempt to beat James. He managed four, so I'm thinking six should be an even win."

The comfortable atmosphere and talk of the future made Rose remember a thought that had been in the back of her mind for a while.

.

"Speaking of our big future careers et cetera; have you ever thought of designing and creating brooms?"

Al seemed a little stumped, he clearly hadn't.

His lack of response prompted Rose to explain herself a little more, "Well I always hear you talking about how some brooms could be improved, and how cushioning charms wear off, or that thing where you get pulled to the left at higher speeds. With your charms knowledge, I just thought it might be something to consider."

Al wrinkled his forehead in concentration as all his thoughts on brooms rushed to the surface of his mind, could he create solutions to all his observations?

He sunk back deep into the couch in contemplation, then turned back to Rose.

.

"I really don't know… I guess I could think about it."

"You'll be a great seeker with a long career, there's no doubt about that. It's just a thought I've had a few times, and seeing as we were getting all futuristic…"

"Yeah, no, totally. Thanks Rose, I really appreciate it."

Rose was about to say 'you're welcome' when she was cut off by a huge yawn that she attempted to suppress – which only brought her hand conspicuously to her mouth, and made her eyes water.

Not anywhere near dumb enough to fall for it, Al jerked his thumb towards the staircases.

.

"You'd better get to bed Rosie. Don't even try to deny that you're tired."

Letting out a puff of air from her suppressed yawn, Rose stood up and stretched her arms out, more content than she'd been in a long time.

"Good night Al."

"Good night Rose. And hey, I'm always looking out for you. So if you ever need anything-"

"I'll come talk to you. You're my best friend Al."

"And your favourite cousin?"

Rose snorted loudly, "And my favourite cousin."

.

Al fist-pumped the air, "Yes! Just wait until I tell James,"

Rose threw her hands up in exaggerated exasperation, "What am I going to do with you two?"

Al just snickered as she made her way up the girls' staircase to bed.

But when he turned back to the fire, he shifted into a deep almost meditative state, seeing nothing but problems brooms, branches, charms and possible solutions.


	25. Scorpius

"Ugh, why does Transfiguration require so much concentration?" Greg exclaimed. "Charms is like, 'jab your wand, say this,' voila but Transfiguration's all like, 'You have to swish with your wand, but move your arm just so, say that, visualise viscosity, focus until your eyeballs almost pop out of your head,' then maybe, maybe, it will work."

Greg had clearly not appreciated the 6th year Transfiguration final.

The group was lounging around the Slytherin Common Room after completing their practical Transfiguration exam.

Isobel joined them, sitting next to Sam as close as humanly possible, and with Rose not around acting relatively normal.

.

Rose was the only one absent, as she had stayed back to chat to Professor Robins, their Transfiguration teacher, although why she wanted to do such a thing was beyond the rest of them.

Bee, who was sitting next to Greg on the black leather couch, patted him on the arm to comfort him (or patronise him) as she laughed at his impressions.

"You know Greg, you're impersonation of subjects really is quality comedy."

She lowered her voice and imitated him, "Charms is all like, then Transfiguration's like-"

.

Greg twisted his head to turn to face Bee, face incredibly dead serious, "Is that sarcasm I detect? I'm going to need you to admit that I personify Charms and Transfig in an absolutely accurate and relatable fashion, or there may be dire consequences..."

Bee looked back at him, "You don't scare me Greg," she scoffed in incredulity, just to hone in the point.

Knowing Bee wouldn't back down, it was all the excuse he needed to promptly jump up and sit down on top of her.

"You're heavier than Hagrid!" "Why me?!" "Help! I'm being squished to death!"

Bee tried to squirm away, but Greg was a short and stocky sixteen-year old with a rather impressive talent for resembling an immovable boulder.

Everyone laughed at her groans and protests, but they were too busy enjoying her attempts to push him off to help, obviously.

Rose slipped quietly into the room and grinned at the rambunctious group's antics.

She threw off her robe and sat down on the seat closest to the entrance of the common room to relax after her chat with Professor Robins.

.

Sam's head turned as he felt the couch sink from the weight of someone sitting next to him.

Before he had consciously registered it was Rose, his hand reached out automatically and gently stretched out a stray red curl, smirking as he let it go and it sprung quickly back into Rose's face.

The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a smile, and she let out a giggle as her hand shot out and pinched his nose, which he tried to deflect but failed, settling for pinning down her other hand onto the couch.

It was only a small interaction, and previously quite an average one, no one else in the group really noticed but Isobel clearly found it a compromising situation.

She looked over, while Sam's hand was holding Rose's wrist and Rose's hand was pinching Sam's nose, and asked with a look of distaste, "What are you doing?"

Her tone was harsh enough that everyone stopped their own conversations and looked over to see what all the fuss was about.

.

Sam and Rose both quickly dropped their arms, Rose laughing nervously then rubbing the back of her neck, "Oh just old bad habits. We always used to muck around like that when we were younger."

Sam just sat there without any explanation, shocked at himself, he couldn't believe he'd forgotten for a moment that Rose and him weren't really on mucking-around terms.

.

Confused, everyone lost interest and started up their old conversations again, Bee being the loudest, "Greg I am this close to hexing you, get - off - me."

"Scorpius," Isobel growled out tersely, "Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

Rose grimaced and squeezed herself deep into the couch as Sam and Isobel walked past her and out of the Common Room in a huff.

.

* * *

.

"I can't believe you!"

"Izzy please-"

"What was that?"

"It was nothing, it was an old habit, we used to be friends!"

"You haven't even looked at her once in months and then you go and act like you're best friends? Is something going on between you two?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous!"

.

Isobel let out a scream of frustration, which echoed off the stone walls of the empty potions classroom they were in.

"I hate this feeling! This is not me Scorpius, I have never been an insecure, jealous person. I lash out at Rose all the time and the truth is, it's not even her fault. I know you still have feelings for her, you're probably only dating me to make her jealous-"

Sam grabbed her arms and stared intensely into her eyes, "I would never do that to you Izzy. I would never do that to anyone. I care about you, that's the only reason I'm dating you, you know that."

Tears started to well up in Isobel's eyes and she turned her face away and looked at the ground.

.

"You may care about me, but you love her, I know it."

Frustration bubbled up inside of Sam, it seemed no matter how hard he tried to hate Rose she still kept interfering in his life.

Why didn't anyone understand that Rose had hurt him, rejected him, toyed with his emotions and now he just wanted to move on.

.

"I do not love her, I hate her!"

Isobel pulled her arm from his, as she said bitterly, "It's the same thing with you two! It always has been. You 'hated' each other so much you were practically dating before you started seeing me."

Sam stepped closer to her and cupped her face in his hands, trying to calm her down by wiping away the tears that had dripped down her cheeks, "Izzy please don't do this, I don't want to lose you…"

.

He searched her face for some hint of softness, any sign of forgiveness, but all he could see was anger and resentment.

Isobel looked up into his eyes, her mouth set determinedly, and her eyes hard and cold.

"I'm not stupid. I can see the way you two are with each other and the history you've had and I'm just not cut out to be your convenient second option. I don't think this is working out."

Sam immediately dropped his arms and stepped back, his heart sinking.

.

"If that's how you feel, then fine," he stared at the floor, resisting the urge to try to hide his emotions, he wanted Isobel to know she mattered to him.

He looked so crushed that for a moment Isobel second-guessed herself, surprised to see tears welling up in his stony grey eyes.

"It's always been an issue and it's always going to be an issue because I don't want to feel like an in-between girlfriend on your way back to Rose. "

Turning away, Sam rubbed his forehead in frustration, trying to smooth out the tension that had been building in his temples, "You are not an in-between girlfriend, I don't want to make my way back to fucking Rose Weasley-"

"Are you seriously saying that if Rose told you she wanted to be with you, you would turn her down?"

"Of course I would!"

"I don't believe you!" She paused sadly and reached to lift up his chin, "I'm sorry Scorp, I wish I could get past this but… I don't think I can."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, her heart heavy with the end but also incredibly relieved.

For so long Isobel had been afraid to lose him, afraid that she wasn't enough, that what they had wasn't real.

Finally, she could just let go as a huge weight of anxiety was lifted off her heart, she felt so relieved and she knew she had made the right decision.

"Goodbye," she whispered, and she quickly turned and left the room, Sam still standing right where she had left him, unable to move.

.

He felt cheated.

He had done nothing but hate Rose.

He had done nothing except cut Rose out of his life and she was still coming back to haunt him, the spectre of her presence hovering over his head.

He had given everything to Isobel, put up with her calling him Scorpius every fucking day, it seemed so unfair that after almost a year, it was all crumbling out from beneath him.

.

Sam had never felt so alone, as he sat on one of the desks in the cold and empty classroom.

'When am I going to stop fucking up so completely?' Sam thought to himself.

It would be a long time before he stopped asking himself that question.


	26. Not A Happy Camper

If Rose thought that she and Sam had been on slightly better terms, she very quickly discovered how wrong she was.

After breaking up with Isobel Gudgeon, Sam had a whole new brand of spite.

Despite his best efforts to move on and distance himself from Rose, she was still managing to ruin his life, she was the exact reason Isobel had broken up with him.

Rose tried to push his sour mood to the side as she focused on catching up for her 6th year exams, nothing was coming between her and those Outstandings in every subject.

Although she had her usual desire to procrastinate, Rose fought her instincts, and followed a strict and lonely routine of working in the library, from the end of class until she left to go to bed, with only a short break for dinner.

On the plus side, this meant she only had to deal with Sam's abominable behaviour at mealtimes and occasionally in shared classes.

.

Her professors were both happy and astounded at Rose's rapid recovery from uninterested and lazy, to focused and diligent – although Neville simply rolled his eyes and got on with his job, clearly projecting an, 'only _you_ would be able to pull something like this off, Rose,' attitude.

It was therefore to no one's surprise that Rose received ten Os at the end of term, just as she had for her OWLs, despite paying no attention in class and doing no homework until the last term of the year.

Those bloody Granger genes.

.

However after exams were over, Rose no longer had an outlet to block Sam out and she was forced to spend more time around him, which became increasingly frustrating.

Sam was trying to be subtle about his anger over Isobel's break-up - the last thing he needed was the whole gang beating up on him about it or knowing that Rose was the reason for the break-up in the first place.

Yet he still managed to find ways to belittle Rose whenever he could, it was the only feeling of satisfaction he could get.

Rose had never had a problem standing up for herself, she was a Gryffindor through and through, but somehow her sense of guilt, avoidance, denial and compassion had mixed together to form an incredible timidity around Sam.

.

Intellectually, Rose knew that rejecting someone as a romantic partner didn't mean they were entitled to act like a complete child, but somehow Rose always pictured his face when she had told him she was sorry, that she couldn't be what he wanted, how devastated he looked.

She knew he was going through something and she could feel him pushing her further and further - it was really only a matter of time before something gave, and she snapped.

.

* * *

.

"Whose idea was this? Seriously! _Who was it!?_ " Ron Weasley was _not_ a happy camper.

For some reason, the entire Weasley family, the Longbottoms, Scamanders and other invited guests, thought it would be a great idea to take a summer camping trip all together in the Forest of Dean.

'The wildlife will be fascinating,' said the Scamanders.

'It will bring back memories,' said Hermione.

'It will be totally awesome to see where Uncle Ron destroyed a Horcrux with the sword of Gryffindor,' said James.

.

But let's all remember that waking up almost forty people at the crack of dawn every day is never going to elicit a good response.

It was three days into the trip, and yet again, Granddad Arthur had woken everyone up that morning with a huge old alarm clock that was ringing shrilly, while Nana Molly walked around the campsite dispensing bacon from a sizzling pan.

Eventually, the bleary-eyed stragglers joined the annoyingly perky, and they all hiked together for hours to a secluded lake.

.

Rose had brought along her best friend Bee, but Al had brought Sam, so she definitely needed Bee to keep her sane from Sam's sly antagonism.

She had literally been enduring it non-stop for the past 65 hours.

When they finally got to the lake after so long on their feet, it was luxurious to laze about in the water, then eat lunch, then laze about again.

Rose was surprised at how relaxing getting in touch with nature could be, which was of course _before_ the mosquitos came out again.

.

In the late afternoon when the heat had lessened, both the adults and kids got into pairs and played a good few rounds of shoulder wars.

The best teams were those who had adults as anchors (the bases who carried someone on their shoulders) and children as attackers.

"Hey Alice, do you want to pair up? I'll be anchor." Al asked her.

Looking a little surprised Alice replied, "But anchors have to be adults if you want to win."

Al shrugged, "Just thought we'd make a good team."

Blushing, she nodded, "Okay."

.

Surprisingly, Alice managed to knock over quite a few people (Hermione and Hugo didn't have very good stability and fell into the water _very_ easily).

However, Al's slight seeker build was no match against Ron (who, let's be honest, had a few extra pounds to help keep him up) and the fiery Rose (who noticed Al's pairing decision with intrigue while knocking them over repeatedly into the lake).

Bee looked so relaxed and happy and beautiful, her brown skin glistening in the water as she and Angelina (who was a stocky former-Quidditch player) battled Ron with Rose on his shoulders.

Rose laughed gleefully at her friend as they attempted to push each other over, and when Bee finally toppled into the lake she was laughing so hard Rose thought her heart might burst from joy.

Once Ron and Rose became the undisputed champions (after being accused of cheating multiple times), everyone got out of the water and started drying off.

Rose and her father continued to gloat, not one of their best shared traits, using 'there's no rule saying that anchors can't help push people over too' as their defence.

By the time everyone had walked back to the campsite it was dark, the most vicious mosquitos on the planet were out, and Rose was starving.

.

As she sat down on chair near the fire that Hermione had whipped up, Rose closed her eyes in exhaustion and cursed at the fact that she wasn't yet seventeen – otherwise she would have just Apparated back to the campsite like Al and Sam, and even Ron (typical!).

Of course, all of them had refused to take her with them.

Apparently being of age meant you turned into enormous prats who laughed at the misfortune of those who were a mere one week away from turning seventeen.

Rose had completely perfected the art of apparition in the Saturday classes offered at the end of sixth year, but just hadn't had her bloody birthday yet.

.

Having walked the four hours back to camp, Rose decided that collapsing by the fire and reflecting on how she had never been this consistently sleep-deprived and itchy before, was her first order of business.

Bee was off being helpful, offering to get plates and cutlery for dinner sorted, while Rose slouched down in her chair.

She had no idea how Beena still had the energy to be nice, they had stayed up late talking in their tent every night since getting here (somehow the darkness of their tent and not being able to see each other made it easier to talk about everything and anything).

And of course waking up at six-thirty every morning wasn't helping.

.

Everything was starting to hit Rose hard, and she was definitely more than a little on edge when Sam sat down on the other side of the fire.

"Here have some water Rose, you look ridiculously tired."

Rose's eyes flew open and she looked up at Ginny, who was standing next to her chair with a bottle of water.

Rose took the bottle, and as Ginny walked away Sam's usual spite made its way across the fire.

"You should say thank you to people you know. It's rather rude to just take things without any gratitude."

Rose turned to stare over the fire at Sam, who was sitting across from her with his arms crossed over his chest wearing a look of disdain.

.

Suddenly, Rose felt like every little thing Sam had said since the end of fifth year had culminated to this moment.

Every snide insult, every criticism, every hurtful word.

All the sleep-deprivation, all the frustration, all the discomfort of the camping trip and three days of constant bitterness had finally tipped her over the edge.

' _You should say thank you to people. It's rather rude to just take things without any gratitude.'_

All he had said, was that she should say thank you.

But that's really all it took for this moment to arrive.

.

"Shut the _fuck up_ , Malfoy."

Sam was shocked by her reaction, usually she was quite diffident when he dished out his usual snark.

"I am _so sick_ of you picking on me all the time, every single day!"

Rose stood up from her chair, staring straight at Sam with a blinding fury.

.

"You never fucking stop and I'm sick of your shit. I'm not going to take it anymore. Stop messing with me. In fact, _just stop talking to me altogether_. Your opinion matters less to my life than the wild boar droppings I scraped off my shoe today. I don't give a fuck what you think about my life or anything you have to say about it, so why don't you just keep your fucking mouth shut, you fucking fuck!"

Rose had raised her voice, but not loud enough to draw any attention.

She was so mad, she didn't even really know what she had said (other than a lot of 'fucks').

All she knew was that after she had stood up for herself, she felt a whole lot better so she sat back down and closed her eyes again.

She guessed whatever she had said, worked, because Sam didn't utter one more word to her the whole night.

.

* * *

.

When Rose had eaten dinner she immediately told Bee that she was too tired to think, and desperately needed some sleep.

Bee immediately assured her that she was also exhausted, and they both went back to their tent and got ready for bed.

After saying goodnight, Bee quickly fell into an even breathing pattern with a few snores every now and then; she was definitely asleep.

Rose couldn't drop off as quickly, despite how fatigued she was and she drifted in and out, mainly floating in the limbo between waking and sleeping, still able to hear everyone else making their way to bed, as the campsite fell into silence.

.

In the moments where Rose was lucid enough to form thoughts, she reflected on how she had yelled at Sam by the campfire.

She was supposed to be the better person, and all he had done was tell her that she should say thank you…

But that wasn't all he had done, it was the culmination of hundreds of other things –

As anger and pain rose her to the surface of wakefulness, Rose's breathing became harsh and tears sprang to her eyes.

What the fuck was wrong with her?

She had finally stood up to the person who had been treating her like shit for a whole year – why was she crying over him?

That was when she heard a rustle at the tent flap.

.

Groggily, she opened her eyes, wondering if she had imagined the noise.

She got out of her bed and walked quietly over to the entrance of the tent.

" _Lumos_."

Her wand lit up and revealed that there was no one outside.

Whoever had been there was now gone.

But her wand light did illuminate a folded piece of parchment that had been pushed through the flap of the tent.

She picked it up and unfolded it, her eyes devouring the words scribbled on the page.

.

 _I'm sorry for being so rude and just plain mean to you. It's so simple to take things out on someone that can handle it, instead of taking responsibility for how you feel. But that doesn't mean it is ever okay to do so. You never deserved any of it, and I'm sorry. I guess I finally had to confront that no one else is responsible for how shit I feel, except me, and blaming you only served my shallowest needs in the most selfish way. I'm sorry that I was too weak, cowardly and irrational to do what was right, instead of what was easy. I hope you can forgive me – not now, but one day._

.

Rose felt an emotion that she honestly couldn't name, rise up in her throat and she felt like crying all over again.

Slowly she folded up the letter and climbed into bed, eventually drifting into a dreamless sleep.


	27. Midnight (mid-evening) Snack

"Well, this is it honey. Your last year of school! I am so proud of you Rosie."

Hermione hugged Rose tightly to her chest, "Calm down Mum, it's not like I saved the world or anything."

She smiled at her mum, and Hermione laughed before kissing her.

"You better get on the train, before it leaves without you."

Rose straightened up and stepped over to her father, who rubbed his thumb over the Head Girl badge pinned to her robes then swept her into a hug as well.

"Bye Rosie, see you at Christmas."

As he let Rose go, she kissed him on the cheek, and felt a dampness there that let her know just how proud he was too.

.

After another moment Rose turned away and hopped on the train with her trunk, giving her parents a small wave before making her way to the prefect carriage.

When she opened the door, her suspicions were confirmed; Johnny Astor was waiting, his Head Boy badge shining cockily on his chest.

They waited a few more minutes for everyone to make it to the carriage, and once the train had chugged out of the station, they began.

The meeting outlined patrol partner rotations within year groups (House unity etc. etc.), the prefect policy on giving detentions, and the upcoming 25th Anniversary Victory Day Ball celebrating the defeat of Lord Voldemort and the end of the Second Wizarding War, which was to be held at Hogwarts on the 2nd of May.

Despite the ball being near the end of the school year, Rose had already devised committees to work in tandem with the professors at Hogwarts.

She knew over-preparation was better than last minute scrambling, besides Victory Day was an incredibly important day in her family of course (on top of being Victoire's birthday!), and she wasn't leaving anything up to chance.

"And lastly, who wants to work with Professor Cornfoot on security? Preferably those of you who are competent at Defence Against the Dark-"

Rose cut Johnny off, "There's also those in charge of working with the House Elves, for food and beverage organisation."

Trust Johnny to forget one of the most important groups, and skip to security.

She had been leaving security to the very last second, because it was obviously going to be one of the more popular committees.

Groaning, Rose saw that no one was volunteering for kitchen duty.

Deciding to end the meeting quickly she sentenced a few to their fate, "Who here got an O in DA?"

A few people excitedly raised their hands, Rose instantly addressed them, "I'm going to be checking your grades, so you better be serious," a few hands dropped sheepishly.

.

"You're all on security, which remember is just to help the Ministry's auror team about the lay-out and function of the castle. Everybody else is down in the kitchens, doing anything the house elves tell you to."

She said it so that authoritatively that no one dared complain.

"Okay, that's settled."

Waving her wand, Rose quickly printed the rest of the prefects' names onto a piece of parchment, duplicated it until there was a pile of copies, and levitated them over to every prefect in the carriage.

.

"You've all been assigned roles. Get in touch with others in your committee and have something organised by the next prefect meeting. Now, those of you scheduled to patrol, get to it. Everyone else, have a good train trip."

Johnny stood up quickly, adjusting his badge for the hundredth time since the meeting had started, "Well I think that went well. With this kind of organisation, we're definitely going to outdo the Heads who hosted the 20th Anniversary Victory Day Ball."

With that, he flounced out of the carriage, leaving Rose behind to roll her eyes.

Al laughed as he walked over to her from his seat carrying his copy of the schedule, "Ever-competitive, that Astor kid."

Sighing, Rose agreed with him, "Tell me about it. Remember him in class before our OWLs."

They laughed together, remembering the fanatic obsession Johnny had had with trying to outdo Rose in class (he never succeeded).

.

"Come on, let's go see the others."

Rose got up from her seat, picked up her own patrol roster and committee roster, and grinned.

"One of the perks of being Head Girl is that I only have to patrol with people I like, so we've got quite a few patrols together Prefect Albus."

Al rolled his eyes, "You'll be lucky if I don't give you detention for calling me that."

Rose chuckled as they walked over to Compartment H, "I know we saw the whole family last week, but I've missed them. Living under different roofs just isn't the same – and this is the last year we're going to be able to live together at all."

Al let out a blaring laugh, "Haaaa ha ha! I'm going to quote that to you about half-way through the term and you're not going to believe you ever said that."

Rose punched him in the arm, she had a feeling her last year was going to be her best year yet.

.

* * *

.

The library was silent except for the rustle of papers and scratching of quills.

Normally Rose loved the beauty of that silence, but today she was bored out of her mind and the silence really wasn't helping her finish her potions essay.

Instead she stared at the wall and thought about Sam (again).

Rose and Sam hadn't spoken since her outburst on the camping trip, which thankfully meant that Rose no longer had to deal with any petty behaviour.

But it seemed a paper apology was all Rose was going to get, so she just continued ignoring him.

Oddly, they seemed to be in a never-before experienced state: acquaintances.

.

Sometimes they'd been pranking nemeses, always friends and occasionally something deeper… but never acquaintances.

Polite hellos, goodbyes, pleases and thank yous, and no insults, jokes, or conversation of any kind?

It was bizarre, to say the least.

Al was overjoyed that they seemed indifferent towards each other, much preferring it to the negative vibes he'd been getting around them for the last year.

He'd never really witnessed anything tangible but he knew Sam had been upset about Isobel and how she'd blamed Rose for their break-up.

.

The others barely seemed to notice that Sam and Rose had eased up slightly, but maybe that was because the whole group was rarely together anymore, and those that were together, were stressed out of their minds.

It was only after Christmas that Rose actually realised how leaving Hogwarts and then coming back didn't have the same effect it used to, because she didn't really get to see her friends any more often than when she was home.

Despite living in the same huge castle, there was no one subject that they were all taking together and their workloads meant they often didn't spend time with each other in the evenings the way they used to.

It was either Albus off practicing Quidditch or Sam and Jen down at Hagrid's getting some help for Care of Magical Creatures, or Corey off perfecting his charms on Adam or Greg down in dungeons practicing potions with Bee.

Rose spent even more time alone in the library than she used to (for example, right now) with occasional visits from the Gryffindor girls – but the whole group hadn't sat down in same room in months.

Even weekends were filled with studying and Quidditch practice, which vanished most of Rose's friends from her company all day; Rose felt as if she hadn't had a good conversation with anyone in a century.

Tonight was a Friday night, for Merlin's sake!

And all Rose had done was sit here alone, alternating between staring at her library desk and writing a potions essay.

Sick of seventh year already, Rose decided to drown her sorrows of loneliness in the kitchens with a hot cocoa and some biscuits.

.

As she walked down to the kitchens she wondered if anyone else would be there, it was before curfew, so technically fifth years and above could still be out and about, and there were quite a few people who knew where the kitchens were these days (the Weasley's and extended family/friends was quite the network at Hogwarts).

Tickling the pear and looking forward to her midnight (mid-evening) snack, Rose's eyeballs almost popped out of her head and she proceeded to choke on her own saliva.

Why was she so surprised?

Well let's just say her brother Hugo was sitting there at one of the tables.

And he wasn't just sitting there, so much as snogging someone.

And that someone happened to be a Slytherin Rose knew rather well.


	28. An Explanation

"What the _fuck_!" Rose managed to sputter out.

They jumped apart, both turning to look at her in horror.

Hugo immediately flushed bright Weasley red, cringing in embarrassment before crying out, "Rose, what are you doing here?"

Rose huffed in disbelief, "What am I doing here? IT'S THE KITCHENS HUGO! Anyone can just walk in. The real question is what are you doing here?"

.

"Well I think it's quite obvious what we were doing here…"

"Ugh, don't try to be funny Hugo. This is not in any way, funny, it's just bloody awkward."

"Look, I don't have to explain myself to you Rose-"

"But I do."

.

The voice came from exactly where neither of them had been looking.

Out of sight out of mind, right?

But there Corey sat, his green and silver tie loosened, his hair slightly ruffled and his face more than a little flushed.

Hugo started to protest, "No you don't, Rose is-"

"One of my best friends," Corey finished the sentence, and the look he gave Hugo was enough to silence him.

Hugo sighed, "Fine."

.

"I'll see you later tonight or something."

"Okay…" Hugo awkwardly sat between them for a few more seconds, before standing up and leaving, shooting a look of uncertainty over his shoulder before opening the door and walking out.

Once the door had shut behind him, Corey gestured to the stool opposite him on the other side of the table, before calling one of the house-elves over.

"Hi, could you bring me two hot cocoas and a plate of biscuits?"

"Of course," the elf squeaked.

"How did you know what I was going to eat?" Rose asked, confused.

Corey just smiled, "Humans are creatures of habit, and you are no exception Rose Weasley."

Once the drinks and biscuits were brought over Corey took a deep breath and... stared at his hands.

.

Rose just sipped, and raised an eyebrow at him.

It was time to play the role of intimidating older sister.

She had caught him snogging her little brother, so she sure as shit wasn't going to start the conversation.

Finally, his voice rumbled to life.

"So a couple of weeks ago, at the start of term party we threw in the Gryffindor Common Room, I may have implied to Hugo that I thought he was cute."

Corey looked up at her to check her reaction.

She seemed to have taken that well, so he continued.

.

"I was just mucking around, but I did mean it and he looked a little out of his depth at the party. I was just trying to help him out, I mean it was his first proper senior party, and he was looking lonely and awkward. No one that funny and smart should be lonely and awkward at a party."

Rose giggled and Corey rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, but Rose waited patiently, even as Corey's eyes studied the floor as if it were the most fascinating artwork he'd ever seen.

Thinking he might need a little prompting Rose offered, "And tonight…"

Nodding excitedly Corey caught on, "Yes tonight. Right. So Hugo, he came up to me during dinner and asked if we could talk. He said he needed some help to sort something out. So we came here to the kitchens. I swear I didn't think, even for a second, that he was going to make a move! What kind of fifteen-year-old has the guts to do that anyway? I assumed it was going to be an innocent chat – I would never have intentionally let him think otherwise."

.

Corey looked earnestly at Rose, "He's your brother, and he's two years younger than us, and if I had planned this I would have thought about it for weeks and then talked to you about how genuinely I felt and promised of course, to treat him right – but he really caught me by surprise! Like, out of the blue, just leans over the table and snogs the life out of me! I swear that's how it went down."

He waited, seeing how Rose was going to respond – he would never want to break Rose's trust, especially when it came to her family.

"Corey, I know you, you don't have to worry about me. You've been one of my best friends for six years and, to be honest, that sounds exactly like Hugo - a Gryffindor through and through," she chuckled.

On the other side of the table, Corey breathed a sigh of relief, but continued on a little guiltily.

"I should have stopped him and asked to talk it through, I like him and we should make sure we're absolutely on the same page… but you know how it can be, right?"

.

Rose nodded her head, grimacing wistfully in understanding.

Oh she knew _exactly_ how it could be.

A brief memory of her and Sam by the lake flashed through her mind.

"And then you walked in, and he yelled and you yelled, and I really want this to sit right with you Rose. I don't want anything to ever get between us, you know how much your friendship means to me."

Rose pushed his arm playfully, "Don't be ridiculous Corey, of course everything's fine. I don't own my brother, he has a strong mind of his own, and you look really happy."

Giggling, Corey squeezed Rose's hand in excitement, "I kind of am?! I can't wait to see him again."

Rose squeezed his hand back, "And I really appreciate you wanting to talk it out with me. It's just impeccably poor timing on my part that I'm wondering into the kitchens for snacks alone at night…"

.

"Well Hugo and I definitely won't be coming to the kitchens any time soon. Maybe, I mean if you want, we could hang out more often down here? I feel like we haven't spent very much time together at all lately."

Rose smiled, "Yeah, I'd really like that."

Corey raised his cup of cocoa as if to make a toast, "To more shared Friday nights together, hopefully less awkward than this one?"

Rose snorted, but lifted her mug too, "Absolutely!"

They both took a sip, cheerfully, then Corey reached out and snatched the last biscuit.

.

"And just for your piece of mind" Rose asked, " _If_ you and Hugo did start dating, although it would be slightly weird for me, I would wholeheartedly give my blessing."

Corey raised his eyebrows, "Your blessing? What are we in, the sixteenth century? Actually no, Hugo and I would be getting persecuted for this if it was the sixteenth century…"

"Well thankfully we're well into the twenty-first century."

Corey giggled, "Well in any case, that's really sweet of you to say. I guess if he wants to go there, it's definitely something I would consider."

.

Rose grinned and cooed in a high pitched voice, "Aww, Coreyyyyy!"

They both laughed and continued to talk in the kitchen until hours past curfew.

Don't worry, the 'I'm Head Girl' line always worked with the new caretaker Nick – and finally, Rose got some of that friendship-time she'd been longing for.


	29. The 25th Anniversary Victory Day Ball

Sighing, Rose put down the fictional novel she'd spent the past four hours finishing by wandlight.

Why had she spent the entire evening reading Herding Thestrals when she was only six weeks out from her NEWT exams?

Well other than the fact that it was an acclaimed book in the field of philosophy of magic discussing the impossibilities of controlling things unseen (hence Herding Thestrals), such as loss, death and the unknown irrationality of life – Rose Weasley was burning with procrastination.

She absolutely couldn't bear to study anymore, which was a worry seeing as her exams were still far enough away to necessitate further study!

She was absolutely sick of everything.

.

Every subject, every memorised fact, every spell – fuck it all.

She just wanted it to be over.

Not to mention the 25th Anniversary Victory Day Ball was tomorrow.

In four hours her dormitory was going to become a hive of fuss and bother; hair, dress robes, shoes, perfume.

She shuddered just thinking about it.

As she whispered "Nox," and settled down to sleep in the darkness left by her wand's absent light, she knew that while the end of her schooling career was close, she still had a long, tedious way to go before graduating.

.

* * *

.

"On the night I defeated Lord Voldemort, I sacrificed my life for the people I loved. But I was not the only one to do this. Hundreds of others gave their lives for the world we have built in the past twenty five years. Witches, wizards, centaurs, giants, the house-elves of Hogwarts and many more. So I would like to honour every being who contributed to our Victory, this Victory Day."

Harry Potter was standing at a podium in the Great Hall, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the day the Second Wizard World War ended.

He unrolled a piece of parchment and began to read out the names of all those who had lost their lives under Lord Voldemort's tyranny, an important part of the ceremony which had been his idea to include.

"Gemma Abbott.

Edgar Bones."

.

The sound of Harry's voice resonating throughout the Great Hall was all that could be heard, for this moment of commemoration.

"Regulus Black.

Sirius Black."

.

When Harry's voice choked, thick with emotion, Ginny, who had been standing beside him, wrapped her arms around his waist and Ron stepped up to the podium from nearby and continued reading for him.

"Caradoc Dearborn.

Dorcas Meadowes.

Benjy Fenwick.

Marlene McKinnon."

.

Rose stood quietly, thanking the universe that she had been born in a time of peace.

From the many people with tears streaming down their faces, she knew others weren't so lucky.

She saw Victoire squeezing Teddy's hand when Ron called out, "Remus Lupin," and "Nymphadora Tonks. Ted Tonks."

She saw Nana Molly bury her face in Granddad Arthur's shoulder, Percy silently sobbing, and George's usually joyful face grimacing with grief as he leant his forehead against Angelina's; "Fred Weasley."

Hermione, gripping Ron's hand tightly in her own, closed the ceremony.

"And to Dobby, a Free elf. Let us have a minute of silence, in remembrance for all who gave their lives for a world free from blood supremacy and fascism, a world striving for equality."

Bee couldn't help but feel out of place as complete silence descended, she had never known any of those people, so what exactly was she remembering?

Intellectually she understood the devastation and hardship of war, but she hadn't fought, she hadn't died and she hadn't lost anyone.

Respectfully Bee stood in silence, but as she looked across the room at so many people crying and struggling, she wondered why she had been born into a muggle family.

She'd read every book, biography and article, but her family life was so untouched by the ravages of any Wizarding War to date.

.

Glancing over at Annie, Bee saw her holding hands with her mother, whose face pinched and white with pain.

She was a muggle-born that had been caught by Voldemort's ministry when she was only fifteen, and she'd suffered imprisonment and torture at the hands of Voldemort's Death Eaters.

"Thank you," Hermione's voice returned, "Please be seated at your designated table, and let's celebrate our Victory with a dinner prepared and served by Hogwarts' Elves."

With the food, liveliness returned to the Great Hall and a festive mood took to the air, to remember that this wasn't just a day of remembering tragedy but also victory.

A string quartet began to play in one of the corners, magically amplifying its way around the entire Hall.

.

After sitting down at a Gryffindor table and stuffing herself with an assortment of delicious breads, cheeses, roasts, curry, rice and pickles that was served up at her table, Bee headed over to the dancefloor to join Annie, Jen, Greg and Adam.

As he saw her come over, Greg spun Bee into his arms and they began to waltz.

"How are you doing with all this?" Greg asked Bee as he twirled her around.

He'd seen that she'd looked lost during the ceremony and had been waiting for a chance to check up on her.

Bee pursed her lips, "Well I feel grateful, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Second Wizarding War, I'd probably have already been killed. At the same time, my life has never really been affected by the war. I mean, I only learnt that it existed in First Year, and I know that I have no conception of what it was like. Not really. I never will."

.

Pulling back away from her a little, Greg looked curiously into her dark brown eyes, thick long lashes framing them as the quivered in the light.

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Bee dropped her arms and started to walk off.

Greg followed her outside into one of the halls.

She sat down on the floor with her back against the stone.

"Bee. What's wrong?"

She was silent, so Greg sat on the floor next to her and waited.

After a few more seconds, she finally replied.

.

"You don't get it. Of course you don't, but I do wish I knew what it was like. Being muggle-born, it makes me different to you. It makes me detached from this world, and I wish that I could understand how the war has affected you and your family. If I did, maybe I wouldn't feel like such an outsider at these events."

She paused for a moment, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Greg smiled, "I was just waiting for you to finish. Are you done?"

Bee nodded, and Greg turned to face her, his demeanor calm and serious.

"I know being a muggle-born makes you feel like an outsider, but that's so ironic because the whole war was fighting for your inclusion in the magical community. So you were introduced to magic eleven years after the rest of us, you're still one of us - that's the point. You're our link to the rest of the world, and you have experiences that are just the same as us. I remember everything you told me about growing up Muslim and Bangladeshi in muggle Britain, how they discriminated against you, saw you as invaders just because your parents came from a different part of the world, it's just as ridiculous as blood supremacy. Your experiences are magical experiences, because you're magical - and your family was involved in other wars, in the muggle world, I guess that's part of being human."

Leaning her head against the cold stone wall and turning to look at Greg, she humphed.

"When did you become so clever Gregory Baddock?"

He smiled ruefully, "Probably through all you bloody Slythindors putting me through the ringer all these years, I had to learn how to think on my feet and get through to all of you."

She laughed gently, and for once felt perfectly understood as they sat peacefully in the torch-lit hallway, breathing in the air of intimacy.

.

* * *

.

Rose was seated at Prefects table, annoyingly next to Johnny Astor, who was absolutely chuffed with how the Victory Ball had turned out.

It was taking all that Rose had within her not to groan and roll her eyes at his pompous grandstanding about all the work he'd done to make the ball happen.

Suddenly, Rose was felt two hands on her shoulders and someone yelling, "Boo!"

Jumping in shock, Rose turned and smacked the person behind her, seeing it was James, she smacked him again, "You scared the shit out of me James!"

Ignoring the smacks, he simply held out his hand with a devilish grin on his face, "Care for a dance Rosie?"

Smiling grudgingly, Rose stood up and took James' hand.

.

They made their way over to the dance floor, the string quartet playing a lively number.

"I know you probably don't care at all, and you are of course so much more than your looks, but you still look beautiful," James noted as he spun her around.

"Yep, a bit of help from the WWW's WonderWitch box hair-styles, putting on these stupid dress robes and slipping on some shoes. It took about four minutes tops. But thanks James, you look good too. Even with those ruffles."

"Damn it, I knew the ruffles weren't a good idea. I should have gotten the boring dress robes."

Giggling, Rose whirled around, getting passed around from person to person, dancing with her father, her mother, her cousins and Bee.

.

When her feet were aching and she desperately needed a drink, she headed over to the open bar and got a Butterbeer.

Upon hearing whispers and laughs behind her, she spun around to see Sam standing awkwardly behind her, flanked by Al, James, Fred, Molly, Louis, Lily, Corey, Adam, Greg and Dom.

Rose stared sceptically at all of them, something fishy was obviously going on.

Sam opened his mouth as if to talk, but closed it again without speaking.

Then he lifted his hand as though to ask a question, before dropping it back to his side.

Breathing in deeply to finally explain, Sam held his breath for a moment, then let it out again disappointedly.

.

"Oh just spit it out Sam!" Rose snapped.

"We were just playing a game of Truth or Dare in an empty classroom," Sam speedily regurgitated, finally managing to get some words out.

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation, "And I give a fuck because…?"

"Because they dared me to dance with you."

"Well surprise, surprise, I don't want to."

.

Sam pursed his lips, "Well here's the thing… we're playing Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Truth or Dare, so if I don't complete this dare, I'm going to lose control of my body, strip naked and run screaming around the Great Hall for ten minutes under a protection charm so no one can stop me."

Seething, Rose responded bitterly, "Ah, so it's either dance with you, or ruin the event I've been planning for nine months?"

After an extremely awkward moment of silence Sam slowly muttered, "Uhh, well, yes, that's, um, that's about the size of it…"

Stepping past Sam, Rose stared each one of her family and friends in the eye, "And who exactly suggested this dare?"

"They're under oath not to tell," Sam supplied helpfully.

Rose smiled sweetly, "Oath schmoath, I'll find out eventually. And when I do…"

She trailed off meaningfully, and with her threat hanging in the air she walked proudly onto the dance floor, leaving everyone to make fearful eye contact with each other.

.

As the rest of the gang stood on the side of the dance floor, torn between laughter and fear, Corey made his way over to Hugo, who had also been sitting by the bar, a ways down from Rose.

He snaked his arm around Hugo waist, and just from the touch, Hugo knew exactly who it was.

A jolt of electricity ran through his body as he smiled at the boy behind him,"Corey. Hey"

Hugo leaned in and their lips briefly met.

"Woah, your parents are around Hugo, careful."

Hugo laughed, "You're just scared of my Dad aren't you?"

"Oi, it is nothing to joke about. I remember what he did to Sam the summer before third year! And that was just a Quidditch accident, not anything to do with snogging his youngest child."

Looking condescendingly innocent Hugo replied, "Well that was hardly snogging, I'll have to fix that."

With that Hugo grabbed Corey's shoulders and kissed him much more passionately.

Corey responded, but broke away grinning, "You are seriously trying to get me murdered by Ronald Weasley, aren't you? Speaking of, I wonder how if he'll be able to tolerate watching Rose and Sam dance together, I reckon they've got quite the show coming up."

Hugo wrinkled his brow in confusion, "Rose wouldn't dance with Malfoy right now, they're not on great terms."

Laughing, Corey pulled Hugo onto the sidelines of the dance floor to watch, "It's a WWW's Truth or Dare…"


	30. Objection (Tango)

Sam hurried to follow Rose onto the dancefloor as she stormed over after succumbing to the fact that she would have to dance with him to save the event.

"So it's just for one song. We'll have to wait until the next one starts."

Rose flipped her hair snootily (something she'd never done before), "Whatever Malfoy."

Sam tried to speak again, but Rose turned to stare daggers at him, communicating quite clearly that she was not interested in carrying a conversation.

The silence deepened as the song ended, and Sam finally had to take Rose's hand and pull her closer than she'd been to him in years.

He was nervous, what had possessed him to play a game of WWW's Truth or Dare with a rag-tag group of Potters and Weasleys?

He barely had time to ponder his life choices before the the string quartet started up the next song: a tango.

Being a Malfoy, Sam had been taught how to partner dance along with politics, literature and world history during his homeschooling before he started at Hogwarts – when one grows up with a Ballroom in their house, learning to dance is rather inevitable.

.

He quickly started to move Rose around, and although she'd never danced a tango in her life, she could follow him easily enough by following his direction and responding to his movements.

The more they fell into the rhythm of the song together, the more of a shiver Rose felt in her stomach.

'Are you kidding me?' she asked herself in disbelief.

It was beyond ridiculous that he still had such an effect on her, she wanted to maintain her sensibilities but she couldn't deny that his touch was electrifying.

Needing to vent a little anger, and also because she felt he deserved it, Rose made a point to step on his foot as hard as she could with the heel of her shoe as soon as she got the chance.

.

Weasley = 1, Malfoy = 0

.

Hissing in pain, Sam whipped her around and pulled her flush against his body into a closed position.

Growling in dislike Rose tried to pull away, but he just copied her as she attempted to step back, following her every move; she had almost forgotten what a smart-arse Sam Malfoy was.

.

Weasley = 1, Malfoy = 1

.

Rose stared at him viciously, her anger pouring out of her body as they danced.

A heat passed between them in that moment and the intensity of their dance increased as Rose dug her nails savagely into his hand and neck.

.

Weasley = 2, Malfoy = 1

.

Sam bit his lip to avoid crying out in pain, sure that she had drawn blood – the battle was well and truly underway.

Their bodies continued to move in counterpart, slipping into perfect rapport.

As they each fought for dominance, their bodies displayed a conflict much like their verbal repartee and pranks-wars had in the past.

They moved in tune with one another, even as they tried to sabotage each other and the dance they were dancing together..

Sam was more than willing to play the game, and if she was going to fight dirty, so was he.

Using their synchronicity to his advantage, Sam timed himself perfectly to step around and kick out Rose's back leg while her front foot was on the move.

Gasping in fright, Rose felt her heart lurch as she fell backwards, only to be caught by Sam in a dip – and of course it looked perfectly natural to anyone watching (which was still really only a scrapping of Potters and Weasleys plus friends who'd been playing Truth or Dare, everyone else at the ball was dancing or eating, unaware of the battle taking place in the Great Hall).

.

Weasley = 2, Malfoy = 2

.

All the breath left her body, as she tried to recover from the shock of the dip.

As she looked up, Sam's grey eyes glinted above her triumphantly.

Sam flicked her up from the dip and thinking quickly, Rose used the upward momentum to headbutt Sam in the nose.

It wasn't hard enough to break anything, but it still bloody hurt.

.

Weasley = 3, Malfoy 2

.

Neither of them spoke as they continued to dance, it seemed they instinctually knew that this conversation was being communicated only through energy and body language.

Still breathless, Rose stared into Sam's eyes, trying not to give anything away as she contemplated her next move.

His physical control over her was creating more and more tension, and if she had known how to lead she probably would have tried it, just to piss him off.

Unfortunately she had no idea how to dance a tango, which left her no choice but to follow Sam's direction.

She was so intoxicated with rage that she could barely think straight, or was that simply because of his proximity?

.

Sam seemed to be having no such trouble, but then again he had always been better at hiding his emotions.

Inside, Sam was bubbling with frustration and anxiety at the seemingly electrical current running between them at every point in which their bodies were in contact, but externally he looked Malfoy-calm, cool and collected.

Seeking the upper hand again Sam turned Rose around, leading her from behind, his hands still keeping her gripped to his body.

Having no idea as to how to unravel herself Rose waited for him to spin her out of the position, but she'd be lying if she said the feel of his breath on the back of her neck didn't send another shiver of excitement through her body.

.

Weasley = 3, Malfoy = 3

.

When Sam finally decided to bring her back to the closed position, Rose used the momentum to knee him in the stomach as she raised her leg up, looking like the perfect tango partner.

.

Weasley = 4, Malfoy = 3

.

Sam reacted sharply, grabbing her leg and not allowing her to drop it.

With only one leg to balance, Rose could do nothing except hold on for dear-life as Sam dragged her forwards on one leg, which looked like a particularly stylish Tango-move.

She gasped in shock as he then flung her into another deeper dip as the music ended dramatically, her entire body tingling with the aftershock of the dance.

.

Weasley = 4, Malfoy = 4

.

Sam was breathing heavily and still gripping her thigh, as he stared deeply into Rose's sparkling brown eyes, their faces only an inch away from each other.

As he pulled her back up to a standing position, they stayed close to each other, and when Rose was firmly back on two feet, still neither of them moved away.

Every intellectual and logical conclusion screamed at Rose to step back, to get as much distance between them as she possibly could, everything about that dance had been terrifying - but it had also been an awakening, and her body and emotions refused to comply.

After what seemed like an eternity of achingly staring at each other, Sam lifted up his hand to her cheek and leaned forwards, pressing his lips passionately to hers.

The spark that passed between them was sharp, galvanizing and completely undeniable.

Forget the scoreboard.

Checkmate, Weasley.


	31. Obliviate

Rose pulled away, unable to bear the torment any longer as her emotions overwhelmed her and a crushing heaviness settled onto her chest.

Taking a shuddering breath, she turned to face the entrance doors to the Great Hall before Sam could see the tears welling up in her eyes, all the while grappling with the cognitive dissonance of her and Sam's frayed relationship and the desperate tension still thrumming between them.

She hurried off the dance floor and out of the Great Hall, running blindly through the corridor as the tears started to fall.

.

Conflict ran through Rose's body like a shiver, how could she be feeling this way?

It was as if every fleeting romantic moment Rose had ever had with Sam was rushing back to the very surface of her skin like fire.

And the kiss. What a kiss.

After their tango, every fibre of her being had been aching for that kiss - even as she remembered why she and Sam had fallen out and the tears continued to stream out uncontrollably.

The irony wasn't lost on her.

That his brief and tender kiss was the most alive she'd felt in months.

That when their lips met, and that spark passed between them, it was like waking up from a sleeping draught to the most dazzling sunshine, so bright that it hurt.

Oh how it hurt.

.

"Rose! Rose come back!"

His yells echoed off the stone walls and only served to make Rose run faster, up as many flights of moving stairs as she could handle before she heard him gaining on her.

Stumbling out onto a corridor (she had no idea which), Rose tried to run farther, but Sam had caught up to her – there was no point.

Pushing open the door to an empty classroom, Rose collapsed into one of the chairs and tried to get her breath back and hold back her tears at the same time.

.

She heard Sam take a seat quietly beside her, and the silence echoed around them, just harsh breathing and sniffs.

When she had recovered enough breath to talk she looked up at him through her tears despairingly, "Why?"

Seeing the pain in her eyes, Sam knew she wasn't just talking about the kiss they had shared on the dancefloor.

"I'm sorry-"

"How could you?"

"I don't know!" Sam yelled, standing up from the chair suddenly, in helplessness.

His guilt threatened to crush him as more and more tears slipped down Rose's face.

If there was anything that made him feel more ashamed of himself than watching her break down, he'd not yet seen it in his seventeen years.

.

"You ignored me for months. Months! Then you went out with Isobel Gudgeon, let her treat me like dirt, then you blamed me for your breakup and treated me worse than she did! You apologised on a scrap of paper, ignored me some more and now you've dredged up every feeling I haven't felt in years with just one sodding dance."

Rose let out a sob, and as Sam heard it, he felt a pain, worse than any Bludger hit, rip across his chest.

"It isn't fair Sam, it hurts too much," she whispered.

Dropping his head into his hands, Sam felt a throbbing pain behind his eyes as he realised how much Rose was suffering, regret filling him with sadness.

He wished he could take back everything he had done.

But even though they were sitting in chairs just an arms-length away, the distance between them had never felt more impossible to bridge.

.

Tears prickled Sam's eyes and his voice quivered as he stared at the floor unable to meet Rose's eyes, "I am so sorry Rose. You have no idea how sorry I am."

Rose placed a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in the sobs as Sam continued, "I hate that I hurt you. It kills me. It kills me that after loving you for so long, I hurt you the most because I was selfish and shallow and immature. I couldn't see past my own feelings, my own desires, and I never understood yours."

"You never tried," Rose cried back at him.

"You were my best friend Sam. How could you do that to me? Why would you do that? Why would you do that to me?"

.

She thrust her finger at him, "I told you everything in those stupid books, I never hid anything from you. But you never even tried to understand that at fifteen, that was all I had to give. I wasn't withholding anything from you, I just didn't want a boyfriend, and because our relationship wasn't packaged the way you wanted, you left me all alone. And our books, you just burnt them! You've no idea how that killed me."

She took a deep breath to try and slow down her tears.

Her accusations rang true, and Sam felt sick to his stomach as he was finally faced with the truth of how Rose really felt all these years.

Pushing back in the only way he knew how, he tried to explain, "I'm sorry I burnt the books, but you hurt me too. You rejected me, over and over, even though I knew you cared about me and you said some really awful things that night Rose, you know you did. I was heartbroken and I needed space, I wasn't ignoring you, but I had a right not to fill all my days with the person who'd hurt me. I was trying to move on, and maybe I wanted to hurt you the way you hurt me, but I never meant to take it this far! Please, you have to believe me."

Rose remained silent, she stood up and turned away from him, refusing to give him any indication that she accepted his explanation - she'd turned too bitter and while Sam wanted to work things out, Rose was filled with a vindictive righteousness.

.

"Please. Rose, please."

His voice cracked, and Sam stopped trying to hold himself together.

The tears he had been repressing flooded his face, and he hung his head in shame.

Wiping her cheeks, Rose squashed down the last of her feelings for Sam and spun around to face him, speaking the words she knew would cut the deepest, words she knew she couldn't ever come back from.

"Rotten to the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listening to. Bad blood, that's what it is."

Sam felt all his breath leave his body.

Her words, like ripping open an old wound, brought out every insecurity Sam had worked to overcome.

.

The silence between them grew, looming heavily in the darkness of the old empty classroom.

As Rose felt a flicker of guilt, she dug deeper into her anger, "We all swore you were different, but look how wrong you've proven that to be. Malfoy. It means bad faith. It is the very definition of who not to have faith in, who not to trust, people who are just born bad."

Rose stepped over to him and grabbed the front of his dress robes, "No one has ever hurt me as much as you, ever. You have ruined me. This pain..."

Rose turned away again, losing her momentum, succumbing to the depth of sadness and hopelessness that she had fought off for so long by refusing to deal with any of this.

She clutched at her chest, the heaviness settling even further into her bones.

Seeing her drop into darkness shocked Sam, it was so much worse than when she'd been angry.

It was like he'd taken all the fight out of her, and he felt so much more regret than he had ever thought possible.

Sam got out of his chair and reached out to her shoulder to turn her back around to face him, but she pulled away, recoiling from his touch.

In desperation, Sam got down onto his knees in front of Rose, his eyes trying to find her face.

"All we do is hurt each other Rose. How did everything get so monumentally fucked up? Tell me what to do to, anything, and I'll do it. I don't want you to hurt anymore. Just tell me how to fix it."

When Rose saw the look on Sam's face, she knew he meant it.

.

He had finally been confronted with everything he had done to knowingly or unknowingly hurt her, and Rose knew that he was vulnerable.

He really would do anything right now, and so she told him of the only solution she could think of to ease her pain.

"Leave. Leave Hogwarts. Leave Britain. Don't ever come back. And take every memory of us with you."

"What?" Sam's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.

"I want to remember you as a school mate and as Al's best friend. That's it. Every other memory; the kissing, all this, those stupid books – I want them gone. Obliviate me and leave me in peace. I don't want to remember that I ever loved you."

.

Sam stood up, eyes searching for answers, but the cold stone walls of the classroom offered no wisdom.

He felt like his heart was being ripped to pieces with her spiteful request, surely this was even further than he had taken things.

How could she want to forget everything?

All their banter, laughter, shared hopes and dreams, moments of togetherness in the torch-lit corridors...

But the look on her face told him that she was serious.

All of those moments didn't outweigh the pain he had caused, and she wanted him gone from her life.

She had said it herself, he was the very definition of who not to have faith in, who not to trust.

Bad blood, that's what it is.

He had tried so hard to escape it, but at the end of the day, he would always be a Malfoy.

And Rose deserved better. She deserved to be happy.

If leaving Rose in peace was the only thing he could do for her, he would do it gladly.

Without a second thought Sam pulled out his wand from his dress robes, he said his last words tentatively, "I have always loved you Rose, but I never loved you properly. The way you said people should; through their actions, selflessly. I will from now on. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Rose nodded firmly.

.

Conjuring up a flask, Sam suggested quietly, "Take out the memories you want to forget, it will make the memory charm less drastic."

Pulling her own wand from her dress robes, Rose raised it to her head and thought of everything to do with Sam, concentrating on pulling out every moment, every feeling, every recollection of the love that had hurt her for so long, until she no longer had any vivid memories of their relationship left.

The knowledge of them, 'Sam and Rose,' was still with her, but she could no longer conjure up strong images or experiences in her mind's eye.

.

As she placed the white pearly memories in the flask, Rose forced herself to avoid eye contact with Sam.

She knew that the look on his face as she threw away everything between them, would be something she never wanted to remember either.

Closing her eyes, Rose concentrated on her breathing, and waited for the spell that would finally let the hurt subside.

The last thing she felt was a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Obliviate."

Hi everyone! This is my first author's note, mainly because I like to let my stories speak for themselves BUT I know this probably seems like a really sad and awful chapter, and you're thinking WHY! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? Never fear, there is a sequel! The next chapter is the last one for this part of Sam and Rose's lives, but I've already written a few chapters of the sequel and it's coming soon. Stay tuned ~~ WitchingWorld


	32. Just The Beginning

Today was it.

Rose's last day at Hogwarts.

NEWTs were over and done with, graduation day had come and gone.

The certificate and photos had all seemed rather meaningless to Rose, and while many of her friends had been crying, Rose was just thankful that school was over.

She had loved this castle as her second home, loved the education that had helped her grow, and loved the friendships that made her who she was, but she was more excited to start Healer training, even though it meant four more years of exams.

.

Sam had left school two months early, to pursue an apprenticeship with an organisation based in India, which conserved and protected the magical creature and plant populations of the Himalayas and South Asia.

It had been a little surprising, but Sam had always loved Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, so conserving their existence and maintaining their secrecy from muggles seemed the perfect job for him.

.

As Rose stood underneath the old beech tree near the lake on a sunny afternoon in July, she imagined all the things that she was going to do.

Saving lives, easing pain, healing discoveries, research, traveling and helping people all over the world, who knew?

"Rose!"

Turning to look over her shoulder, Rose saw Bee running towards her.

Bracing herself for impact, Rose opened her arms to welcome Bee into a rib-crushing hug.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself Rose?" Bee asked with a grin.

.

"Nothing. Just admiring the view one last time."

"You're right, it's beautiful. I'm going to miss it."

From the tremble at the end of her sentence, Rose could tell Bee was tearing up.

Rolling her eyes and smiling at her best friend, Rose wrapped an arm around Bee's shoulder.

"What are you crying about now, you silly duffer?"

Laughing at herself Bee hiccupped, "I'm just going to miss everything about this place. Hogwarts is where I fit in, it's where I learned everything I'm going to use for the rest of my life. Greg and I got apprenticeships as potioneers, Jen's going to do a course at the London Library, Corey's got a traineeship at the Ministry, Al's going to play Quidditch for the Tutshill Tornadoes, Sam's gone off to India, Adam's traveling Zambia with his family from there and you're starting Healer training – we're all going in such different directions! I mean, what if all we never speak again?"

.

"Beeee-eeee," Rose groaned, "You're being utterly ridiculous! How could any of us let each other go? And how could I ever let _you_ go?! You're never going to get rid of me Beena Hossain."

Looking sheepish, Bee leaned her head against Rose's shoulder, "Promise Rose?"

"Yes I bloody well promise. Now shut up and watch the sun set over the lake with me. Tomorrow morning, we've got to get up early to catch the Hogwart's Express, so it's our last chance."

The two girls watched the sun set into twilight and cast an array of blazing orange-rose-purple rays over the expansive water and sky, and held onto each other tightly.

.

Even if their lives were changing forever, and they were journeying into the real world, with jobs, and flats, and the responsibility of cleaning their own toilets, they were filled with the confidence that their friendship would remain.

As the sun finally dipped beneath the horizon and the atmosphere started to darken, there was just a tiny niggling doubt in the back of Rose's mind, as though something was missing… was she forgetting something?

But the thought was fleeting, her doubt momentary, and as she held onto Bee, Rose knew that this ending was really just the beginning.

.

.

A/N: So that is the last chapter of Bad Faith! Hope you'll join me on the journey for the sequel, first chapter is up! WitchingWorld


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